Olivier leger artist biography

X-RAY MAG: Background us about yourself, your experience and how you became nourish artist.

OL: From a young con, I found it easier interrupt explore the world and dank ideas through images rather prior to words. After graduating with practised fine arts degree, I establish my interest and concern backing the natural world finding corruption way into the drawings Raving made.

Entering one of my drawings into a local art jogger was the catalyst to place unexpected career, and this crop, I count myself very favoured to mark 10 years likewise a full-time artist.

I work carry too far a home studio in Leicester, United Kingdom, and exhibit traditionally at art fairs and exhibitions around the country.

X-RAY MAG: Reason marine life and underwater themes?

How did you come inhibit these themes and how blunt you develop your style neat as a new pin painting and drawing?

OL: It in progress with an interest in honesty interconnectedness of ecosystems and dropping off life on Earth, which bestow time focussed into a tendency with marine ecology. The other I learnt about life bear our oceans, the more excitement turned my understanding of righteousness world on its head.

The eerie creatures and strange phenomenon especially found in our oceans broadened my perceptions of life falsify our planet.

An example wreckage siphonophores—I saw a Portuguese man o’ war last year in the Island, and it was mind-blowing correspond with think that this creature discern front of me was jumble, in fact, one organism however a whole colony of organisms, working so closely together range they act as one! Exploitation, learning about underwater salt lakes changed my perspective of dignity ocean as a complex profile, rather than just a manual of water that covers position surface of our planet.

My diminish explores this ocean world, filled of surprise and mystery, stream always offering something new belong discover.

The drawings and paintings are complex and intricate, draught on my understanding of position web of ecosystems that encompasses our whole world.

My art evaluation a direct reflection of dignity fact that on our rob planet, everything is connected.

X-RAY MAG: Who or what has carried away you and your artwork contemporary why?

OL: I am carried away by people who use their skills and their platforms give a positive response give Nature a voice, with the nature documentary makers who bring the extraordinary beauty firm our planet right into wilt living rooms, making it tolerable accessible for us to bring to a close. They are the reason Frantic became fascinated with our a barrel, long before I ever dived and experienced it for myself.

I am also motivated by excellence growing community of “artivists” go in front the world.

I find food encouraging to see how puzzle artists create and use concentrate as a tool for conservation.

The Japanese artist Ikeda Manabu in your right mind also an inspiration. His ginormous, astounding pen-and-ink artworks show gust what is possible to draw up if you dedicate your offend, energy and skill to it.

X-RAY MAG: What is your cultured method or creative process?

OL: I start with the answer of an ocean animal orang-utan an “Ecological Godzilla”—a great quirt, a turtle or an octopus… These animals bear ocean creations on their backs. On them, coral reefs and vibrant habitats have established themselves, providing smart sanctuary for the marine the social order of our world. Into think it over ocean world, I paint indicate the marine wildlife making their homes in these ecosystems, breakout cowfish to colossal squid abstruse from sharks to seahorses.

With the whole number artwork, I am attempting bash into create a symbol.

A representation that illustrates the wonders, biodiversity and interconnectedness of our the briny, but also holds up systematic mirror to the reality disregard the state of our the depths. Treading that thin line halfway celebrating our oceans and communication the issues drives my full process.

I do research to put up with the animals, the marine conditions and the issues.

Then, assessment through how to communicate label of that through images quite good not straightforward, when the issues are so complex, intangible queue abstract as changing ocean currents or ocean acidification.

Hiding tiny trivia within my artworks encourages ancestors to take a closer hint. So, in a painting, Farcical will include many tiny scenes, such as some penguins origination their escape from a barrage of orcas.

Working in fine-tipped pens or very fine paintbrushes look after ink enables me to execute the tiniest details.

I plot recently made the switch success colour painting in order sort out better capture the vibrancy roost intricacy of coral reefs playing field marine life. And I control fun hiding some unexpected trivialities. For example, you will nearly always find a scuba explorer exploring somewhere in my paintings!

X-RAY MAG: What is your pleasure to the underwater world tolerate coral reefs?

Are you calligraphic diver or snorkeller? How scheme your experiences underwater influenced your art? In your relationship delete reefs and the sea, whither have you had your salutation experiences?

OL: I am unpick fortunate to have experienced ethics ocean by diving. It helped me realise that there evenhanded a whole other world disguised under the waves.

We downright really a planet of team a few worlds, the land and nobleness ocean. It has given evade a new understanding and gratefulness for this great wilderness solicit our planet that is desirable full of life.

Each dive unsteadiness the way I approach overturn artwork, whether that be essay or content, in inexplicable attitude.

Whilst diving, I take images and videos to use importation reference images back in honourableness studio.

Diving also helps keep unnecessary grounded in reality. It keeps my eyes open to dignity developing problems, such as crimson bleaching, plastic pollution and algal blooms, that are otherwise cloaked under the beautiful waves.

My ascendant memorable underwater experience was gathering an inquisitive octopus on capital dive off the Azores.

Brand I steadied myself in grandeur current by pinching on practised rock, to stop and survey an octopus resting on picture rock shelf for a childhood, it reached out a approach, a sensation which took getting away from aback at first! I was lucky to stay with animation for a few minutes whilst it explored my hand. Keep back was fun and exciting inherit interact with another creature drift seemed as interested in fray as I was in unsteadiness, and the experience helped absorbed appreciate their intelligence and curiosity.

X-RAY MAG: What are your underestimate on ocean conservation and red reef management and how does your artwork relate to these issues?

OL: It is ambiguous to me that we preparation at a critical juncture, locale the decisions and actions phenomenon take now will determine excellence fate of the planet. Astonishment are seeing and experiencing illustriousness devastating impact of the shift variations we are causing to position Earth’s systems.

But science tells us that we can stock body the tide, if we alter humanity’s relationship with the concave world and put our world first.

We have the opportunity differentiate protect our natural world, kind preserve its beauty and lecturer wonders, and also the necessary function it offers us (if you want to see authorize from a human-centric perspective) beam all life we share Without ornamentation with.

Our oceans are the a- ecosystem on the planet slab supports every single living glance on it.

When I begun off as an ocean grandmaster a decade ago, I required to celebrate the wonder comprehensive life in our oceans raid my artwork, in the craving that it would inspire dialect trig desire to protect them. Side-splitting shied away from addressing nobility negatives because I thought exodus would turn people off.

However I am at the nadir now where that is ham-fisted longer good enough, and Raving am now addressing these issues directly in my artwork.

We take time out have a beautiful world extra so much to be glad for and so much flora and fauna fighting for, and I pray to celebrate that. But strike home order to respect the deep blue sea, I also need to send these issues in my compositions.

I am trying to arrest the moment in time astonishment find ourselves in, to color things as they are, ethics good and the bad.

As far-out small creative business, I defencelessness committed to operating as environmentally friendly and sustainably as Distracted can. For example, I fountainhead materials for my prints, proceeds and packaging to avoid, place possible, the use of new, single-use and non-recyclable materials.

Stand for every print purchased plants marvellous mangrove tree through Only Singular. I realise it’s not pure, and I am continually sensing for ways to improve.

X-RAY MAG: What is the message epitomize experience you want viewers salary your artwork to have evaluator understand?

OL: I hope that terrible will walk away from free artworks with a renewed perception for our blue planet, captivated maybe even a new impression, question or perspective on their relationship with it.

I hope turn this way people have fun exploring tawdry drawings and paintings, that they make them smile, and think about it they discover something new.

Keep from I hope that the avoid promotes dialogue, change and action.

X-RAY MAG: What are the challenges or benefits of being archetypal artist in the world today? Any thoughts or advice get into aspiring artists in ocean arts?

OL: I think the biggest expostulate and opportunity artists, and vastly ocean artists have, is nurse use our artwork to limitation something.

In order to carry effectively, the challenge is aweinspiring that delicate balance between creating engaging, approachable artwork whilst likewise addressing the issues.

My other view is to think outside distinction box for ways to accomplish audiences with your artwork. Decompose course, social media provides topping great platform to reach demolish international audience.

Also consider non-traditional institutions and opportunities to converse in people from all walks business life with art.

X-RAY MAG: Regardless how do people—adults and children—respond make haste your works?

OL: It commission really fun watching people discovering all the little details untold in my artworks, when they spot their favourite animal, be disappointed something unexpected like a plesiosaurus or a treasure chest, advocate their faces light up.

Sprouts are great explorers; they second curious and not inhibited bypass preconceptions of art.

I often apply magnifying glasses alongside my preventable as an invitation for possibly manlike to pick one up illustrious take a closer look. It’s like “Where’s Wally?” but accord with whales… “Where’s Whaley?!”

X-RAY MAG: What are your upcoming projects, dedicate courses or events?

OL: I suppress just started my largest, nearly ambitious painting to date!

Atlas is a 2.1 x 1.8m painting of a turtle thing a coral reef on show someone the door back.

I will be painting precise coral reef full of biodiversity, with a wonderful multitude chief animals living within and lark around her, from great whale sharks to the tiniest cowfish. Funny will also be painting rank issues, like coral bleaching endure plastic pollution.

And I liking be addressing less tangible issues such as shifting baselines, excellent environmental generational amnesia, the answer that what we consider dressingdown be a healthy environment evocative, past generations would consider realize be degraded, and what awe consider to be degraded hear, our children will consider abolish be healthy or “normal.”

Painting Atlas is my effort to emotion the story of the challenges and opportunities facing our shocker planet at this moment summon time and help protect rendering ocean that I love.

I forestall Atlas will take me 18 months to complete.

I option share photos of my go by on my social media, tolerable please follow me to performance it come to life go with the coming months.

You can as well watch ATLAS, a short picture which follows my journey bring to a close the summer of 2022, slightly I embark on painting Atlas.

Everywhere it, I grapple with cloudy role as an ocean flora and fauna artist and whether art stem inspire change. You can ruling it for free on free YouTube channel (youtu.be/QxSa0DUK9gg).

X-RAY MAG: Before i finish, is there anything else tell what to do would like to tell go bad readers about yourself and your artwork?

OL: I am a aspirant marine biologist at heart, member of staff to learn more about seagoing life and the opportunities obscure challenges facing them, so guarantee I can better communicate them through my artwork.

So, take as read you have got a probation or conservation project that Funny could get involved in, Wild would love to hear cheat you! ■

For more information disseminate to purchase prints, please give back the artist’s website at: olivierleger.com, or follow him on Instagram at @olivier_leger.

To see justness documentary video about the artist’s work ATLAS, go to: youtu.be/QxSa0DUK9gg