ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Véronique Duplain

Véronique Duplain's journey is a testament to the transformative power of passion and dedication. From a daily [month-long] Instagram model, to a NIKON Canada ambassador and now an Applied Arts cover artist, her story is one of inspiration. In our conversation, she candidly shared the challenges she faced on her creative journey, along with insights into her winning project. But what truly intrigued us was her unique creative process, a testament to her innovative spirit.

What is your creative process?

Through a personal challenge I embarked on 11 years ago, I became known for my #SelfieProject, which involves taking a self-portrait every day during the month of February. My creative process, characterized by vivid colours and an eclectic post-modern style, speaks of everyday life through images and installations with elaborate narratives. One click, a whole universe. My approach is driven by a voluntary imposition of creative constraints that propel the development of new processes, such as the integration of technologies like robotics and 3D printing.

What is the most difficult piece you worked on? What were the challenges?

There are some photos in the project where I put myself in impossible situations. For example, there was the time I got into a children's pool with two alligators. I made an appointment to 'rent' the alligators, set up the scene and everything, but when they arrived, I couldn’t bring myself to face them for a while. Another time, I had to put a dead, thawed octopus on my head. I can't even begin to describe the mental feats I had to perform to get through that!

What is the project you are most proud of? What was your creative process? 

Edition 8 - Day 25 - Selfishihara is definitely one of the most thoughtful images of the project. As a huge fan of colours, I thought about colourblind people, especially those with deuteranopia, which affects a significant percentage of the population, particularly men. I have worked on understanding the vision they have and built a very precise colour palette. I took photos of flowers and created a wallpaper with a QR code that leads to this page I used the same pattern as the wallpaper, inverted the colours, and created a custom outfit. Now, what's interesting is that according to the tools I found, the second image on the link above represents what is seen through the eyes of someone with deuteranopia. Blue eyes are taken for granted. I also provided an image translating green hues to blue so that a colourblind person can also see the full range of colours.

What advice would you give to those seeking a career in the commercial photography industry?

Devoting time to developing one's creative style with personal projects is the best investment one can make in a career. It's like a free marketing campaign. And you MUST make time in your schedule, even if it's already full, to continue creating.

How has winning Applied Arts Awards impacted your business?

I hope to see the impact in the upcoming months! 

What do you hope people say/think when they see your piece?

I use Instagram to share my projects, so I have no control over my audience's attention. We scroll quickly when surging, don't we? But I love hearing that my posts make people stop to appreciate the aesthetics and take a moment to dive into the context of my photos and really connect. It feels great to know that in this fast-paced world I've managed to pause time, even for just a moment. To answer your question, I hope they enjoy my work.

How do you stay inspired?

I force myself to stay creatively active. It's like a muscle; creativity inspires creativity.

You can see Veronique's winning work in the Summer 2024 issue of Applied Arts, this is the Photography, Illustration and Design Awards Annual, hitting mailboxes this week. Explore more or follow or contact with Veronique's creative journey.

IG: @v.duplain

Bē: @vduplain

IN: @veroniqueduplain

Véronique, please keep pumping your creative muscle! We can't wait to see what the next year will bring you.