Aurore Danielou’s visual creations

You may have seen his wallpapers that adorn the walls of several restaurants or his murals that adorn the metropolis. Behind these works hides the illustrator and decorative art designer Aurore Danielou. Portrait of a designer who adds her unique touch to several addresses in Quebec.

It was Amlyne Phillips, founder of La Chambre Design & Co, who gave her her first chance. “My first wallpaper I did here was for the Billie the Kid store. A first term that snowballed,” says Aurore Danielou.

Arriving in Montreal about ten years ago, Aurore Danielou did a few jobs that weren’t necessarily related to her training in visual communication. But the original Frenchwoman never stopped illustrating. This first Montreal contract in 2018 was the starting point for her many projects as a commercial illustrator.

“I arrived in a bit of a bubble,” she explains. The wallpaper was already a bit trendy, but not too much. It was seen as eccentric to wear it. »

Several cafes, restaurants and bars were keen to try the trend – which is still in vogue today. For the past five years, Aurore Danielou has created wallpapers for many places, including Parma Café, LOV Laval, Miss Wong, Ratafia, Kampai Garden, Madame Bovary, Le vin dans les voiles and the new India Rosa, in Griffintown.

Abundant wallpapers

The wallpaper is a “coup de coeur” for the illustrator Aurore Danielou. It is a medium that allows him to “do lots of things”. “We can work on the repetition of the patterns or go more into the panorama”, she specifies.

What she likes the most? “Playing with wallpaper to integrate it into the work of designers and architects,” she says. So, to work on the pattern so that it intertwines, for example, with the benches and the mirror. »

Aurore Danielou draws her inspiration from the 19th century artist^e century William Morris, a key figure in the Arts & Crafts movement. It takes up maximalist motifs, adding a modern touch. “I have a very detailed side, a little engraving and vintage, but with shimmering and fairly lively colors”, illustrates the decorative art designer. A contrast that appeals to her customers, she says. Aurore Danielou often adds a touch of humour, whether animals or stylized characters.

When she creates her works, Aurore Danielou is also attentive to her clients. “People like custom work that’s made for them,” she says. Some ask me to add a little personal wink that only they can understand. For example, the tapestry of the headquarters of the nature wine agency Le vin dans les voiles incorporates the dog of one of the co-owners, who is dead.

“Instagrammable” universes

His creations have a “theatrical” and “staged” side, which perfectly corresponds to the desire of several addresses to create interaction with their customers, in particular through social networks. “We live in an Instagrammable world and it’s a big point for clients to have visual focuses,” she says. In the end, we want it to be beautiful, to create a universe and for people to remember the place. »

Precisely, in addition to the wallpaper, Aurore Danielou created some mural works, notably on the facade of the Café Tuyo and the former Nopalito restaurant. The illustrator also creates stickers for window displays and designs illustrations for packaging and objects, such as bottle and liquor can labels.

“Even if there is a trend towards the more refined, I believe that there will always be people who want things more ornate and worked,” says the illustrator.