Olivier Dorvilier

Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us here at House of Lafrance. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

I was born in Brooklyn NY in 1987, my father is from Haiti & my mother is first generation Puerto Rican from the Lower East Side NYC. When I was of a young age they moved down to Virginia Beach VA. In my household it was my mother, older sister, & I after my parent divorce when I was around 3 years old. Every summer we were in NYC either Brooklyn or the LES and I eventually would move back to Brooklyn for middle school into a 2 bedroom apt with my father, 2 younger sisters, step mother, older brother, & step brother. When we moved from Bay Ridge to Flatbush Brooklyn it started my curiosity into art from seeing graffiti everywhere. My childhood was pretty interesting. I never liked living in Virginia other than being around a lot of family. A majority of my Puerto Rican family moved there from NYC so I was influenced by the culture, music, & of course food. My mother put my sister & I in a private catholic school where I received a lot of discrimination. As a result I grew up very introvert & would never want to be around crowds of other kids. I started breaking out & showing more personality when I moved to Brooklyn in middle school. It was interesting that I would adapt so well to the change of environment, having to share rooms, waking up sometimes with no running water, experiencing being in a roach & mice infested building, but not being discriminated anymore made it all great. Also I started to learn about my Haitian culture for I was living in a full Haitian household now. Unfortunately my parents decided to send me back to Virginia for high school & immediately after graduation I was right back in Brooklyn. So I’ve had a very back & forth mixed experience childhood.

When did you start painting?

I started painting when I was about 23 years old. I had been drawing with pencils, pens, paint markers, and markers up until this point. One day I walked into a store in Manhattan to buy paint markers & saw graffiti art on canvases. I curiously asked the store cashier ‘what is that drawn on?’ And they told me it was a canvas. After that I search for an art store & bought my first canvas, paint, & paint brushes.

Why do you do what you do? What is the inspiration behind your drive to paint?

I create art because it was my outlet & greatest way to express myself. I found so much freedom in painting that it consumed my mind. People ask me what does art do for me & I tell them it’s the only thing I can ever focus fully on. I have such a creative & random mind that I often can see my art in a finish creation before I’ve even built the canvas. The only way to take my mind off of it is to create it whether it be a painting, picture, or video. Being artistic & creative was never taught to me as a way of life, but having a strong passion for art continued to grow greater throughout my life.

Every artist has their own unique style of working to brings out their creativity in their work, describe yourstyle of painting?

I always get the question ‘what style of art do you do?’ & it’s funny because I never know how to answer it. I never studied art or went to school for art. I took a life drawing & fashion art class randomly at FIT in NYC. I believe that my self taught skills in art created a signature look that somewhat blends realism with abstract. Some people who studied art say figurative. I call it a blend of influences that stir my creative mind.

Which medium bring the best out of your work?

I mainly work with acrylic but I love mixed media. Oil paint brings a look that can be either very textured or smooth. Also I’ve found an interest in sewing fabrics to my canvases in a couple of painting. It’s really all about what kind of vision I have.

Have you met any challenges to pursue this career and what opportunity and obstacles had come your way while being passionate about his work?

Everyday. When you’re in school they treat you drawing as a distraction, when you get into your twenties it’s a hobby, when you tell people you’re taking it seriously you’re being impractical. I didn’t have artistic people around me or in my family so it was difficult to find motivation & support. When social media started becoming a greater platform for communication, finding random support became a good drive. When I sold my first painting to a random lady on Twitter it made me believe in what I was doing. It was a bit more than selling the painting however, it was the fact that she caught the entire emotion that I put into that canvas.

There are many problems in society today and we need to solve the problem, at least try to. As an artist how has your work help the society in finding the solution? Or has your art help shed some light into the issues we are facing as a nation?

I believe that as an artist I’ve helped people believe in themselves. Not having a support system in the beginning made me form a motto ‘Self Motivation, Self Dedication, Self INSPR.ation (inspiration)’ & through my brand, INSPR. Art, I spread this mindset on to everyone I meet or sees my social media. Any chance I get I try to bring people away from a conformed, systematic, cookie cutter mentality and tell them live life for yourself. I know my art has helped a lot of people to be confident in themselves.

Do you have a muse or multiple?

I work with multiple Muses. I love how different women can be from one another. Certain poses and looks that I want to paint cannot be concurred by just one Muse.

Do you have a favorite piece of art/painting?

This is a tough question, I know so many artist personally that I could probably pick out one from at least 2 or 3 that really move me. Plus there’s so much influence I get from looking up Haitian, Egyptian, & Aztec art. I don’t know if I could ever say ‘this is my favorite painting.

What would you say is the best experience(s)/achievement(s) in your career so far?

Bringing a positive & motivational energy to people. Nothing is better than having people tell you how strong your art is. When I had thoughts of giving up, it was random people who support me that made me tell myself I can’t because they want to see me achieve.’ Receiving that level of support for creating something you’re passionate about is incredible!

Have you had any of your work in any museum or published?

Not yet, but I’m sure this’ll happen pretty soon.

Where do you see yourself in the next 2 to 5 years?

Having multiple exhibits across the world, finding new INSPR.ation, excelling in my interest of creative directing, & continuing to motivate people to live out their passion.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, what can you say to anyone starting or wanting to start their passion as an artist/painter?

I would tell them to drown out any negative energy that comes into your space & create with a purpose. You have to be original, organic, & real to have longevity. Also learn how to build your value if you’re planning on doing this professionally. I sold high end jewelry for 6.5 years and learned that you need to be able to market, advertise, spark interest, sell emotion, & uphold a radiant persona with everyone you interact with. You cannot be a halfway artist, you need to do this 100% in order to put your soul into everything you create.

Interview by Ms. Lafrance

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