Raphaël Viens
Raphaël flirts with the idea of immortalizing craft-based knowledge, while imposing a contemporary reflection on topics such as agriculture, body identification and gender, as well as rituals of friendship. They graduated fashion design school in 2021, from the École supérieure de mode de l’ESG UQAM and shortly after started teaching fashion design and accessory making at Montreal’s LaSalle College. While perusing their interest in design theory at Concordia University, their master’s degree focuses on handcrafted leather goods that reflect contemporary conundrums relating to dining and a romanticized experience of farming.
Info@raphaelviens.com
Website
Raphaelviens.com
Statement
As a multidisciplinary maker, I focus on handmade textiles and soft materials such as leather to convey my intentions through tangible goods. As a maker, my practice consists of a set of learning tools, while simultaneously act as a vessel for communicating ideas and sharing knowledge.
With the intention of sensitizing consumers to the origins of foods and the methods involved in producing them, the body of work wishes to rethink present-day dining habits, and the relationship associated to mealtime rituals and their instruments outside of heteronormative boundaries.
As part of my creative process, I am fascinated by the multifarious approaches to making and documenting. Furthermore, I experiment with a variety of tools and alternative techniques to achieve unpredictable results through precarious experiments.
