Meet Laurent Pinabel | Visual Artist / Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laurent Pinabel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurent, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Everything was very intuitive and spontaneous. I never made a career plan. I had been employed for 7 years in different companies, as a graphic designer and art director (in Paris, then in Montreal). I felt the urge to start my own business and I was waiting to find the right partners. Finally, when my first child was born, I took a few weeks off. When I returned to work, the idea was clear. I wanted to be a freelancer, to give more space to my work as an illustrator and poster designer. I opened my studio (pinabel.com) of graphic design focused mainly on the cultural industry (theater, festival, storytelling, museum…) and I developed my style. My studio is very small, but efficient. Depending on the mandate, I work alone, but sometimes I collaborate with graphic designers, photographers, designers, editors, architects, scenographers, translators…). Currently, my work has become even more personal and turned towards illustration (including books).

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think I have kept a child’s eye on life. It is often naivety that makes me take choices and sometimes risks. In the artistic approach, in the contracts, in the daily life. I try to keep a big part to intuition. Over time, as a graphic designer and then illustrator, I have developed a very black and white style where the visual impact is first created by a large “stain”, then I bring finesse through finer and sometimes clumsy lines. I look for the balance between strength and fragility. When I use color, it is often to emphasize an element. I use it as information and not as decoration. When clients started coming to me for my style and asking me for it, I wasn’t even aware that I had a style… They recognized my posters, my illustrations. Then I felt very proud. Then some of them were selected and exhibited in Mexico, Bolivia, China, Poland, Russia, United States… When I create an illustration, everything comes together (experience, culture and intuition), but I always try to propose something a little offbeat. To answer where I am not really expected.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In Dallas or in Montreal (Canada)? I live in Montreal, so it would depend on the season. The activities would be very different if my friend comes in the winter or the summer. In the summer, I would take him to music festivals, to some bars, to surf on the St. Lawrence River, and I would take him camping on the edge of the rocks where you can see the whales 6 hours away from Montreal. In winter, we would go skating in the parks and skiing in the mountains. Surely some restaurants and bars (including the Yïsst) to settle in warm.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course. We never build alone! Even if my path is intuitive, it would never have been like this without certain kind looks or certain encounters. Do you want the long or the short story? The long story obviously begins with my childhood: my parents who always encouraged me; then my uncle, Christian Petit, a talented artist and drawer, whom I admire a lot… At school, it was especially an art teacher, Guy Colson, who marked me for life. As much in art history as in artistic practices. He passed away and I never had the opportunity to tell him how much his training is still inked in me. He was very impressive and never gave away anything. An old fashioned teacher. When I’m in doubt or can’t make choices, I still imagine him pushing me to take risks. Later, I also met various colleagues or creative directors such as Yan Leuvrey (Bronx agency) or Mario Mercier (Orangetango). It is also the Polish and Cuban poster artists. Exhibitions and books on artists as Picasso, Basquiat, Ralph Steadman. And there are many more to list.

Website: laurent@pinabel.com

Instagram: laurent pinabel

Linkedin: laurent pinabel

Facebook: pinabel.illustration

Other: Website illustration: www.pinabel-illustrations.com

Image Credits
© Bernard Fougères / exo – Metropolitan Transportation Network © Yagub Allahverdiyev