Louis Gagnon joined Joanne Lefebvre, who had just founded Paprika, in 1991. This business consistency is the hallmark of a path marked out by loyal customers who grow and evolve, often leaving Louis and his partners carte blanche.
Louis Gagnon
Louis has won more than 1000 national and international awards for design excellence since he joined Paprika in 1991, including Aiga, Applied Arts Annual Awards, Art Directors Club and Type Directors Club of New York, British Design and Art Direction, Communication Arts, Coupe Magazine, Grafika, Graphex, Graphis, How International, Idea, Dieline, Pentawards and I.D.Magazine.
1991
2023
32 years later, Home Société, Maison Corbeil, Must, Jardin de ville, Élément de base, Ciot, series of stamps for Canada Post, art books devoted to Peter Lindbergh, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Victor & Rolf, campaigns for the MBAM, MAC, McCord, MNBAQ and MAD museum in Paris, his ephemeral installations bear witness to Louis Gagnon's taste for fashion, beauty and architecture. Always with that distinctive touch, a blend of sobriety, elegance and novelty. Nearly 1,000 awards for excellence in national and international competitions underline the quality of his achievements and, above all, their consistency
Since 2003, Louis Gagnon has been teaching at UQAM, a natural extension of his involvement in the industry. He passes on his approach, creativity and rigor to the next generation of designers.
André Marois on Louis Gagnon
Louis Gagnon's story begins in Sainte-Marie, in the Beauce region of Quebec, when he was just eight years old. The son of the neighbour across the street was a letterer, and when he set up outside to draw a logo and business signature on the side of a truck, Louis abandoned everything - his games and his friends - to stare, fascinated, at the painted characters that dressed up the truck. For the boy, this was a revelation.
During the summer, he worked with his father, who restored religious architecture. His older sister studied fine arts, then went into fashion. Louis designed his first booths for the Salon des Artisans. The Gagnon family is known for its creativity, and Louis is eager to find his own path. Easy to say. His passion for TV set design led him to take the exhibition design program at CEGEP, then Louis enrolled in graphic design at Laval University, where it finally dawned on him. Photography, typography... he loved it all. Baronet in Beauce then hired him as an intern for a summer to revamp its graphic identity. Louis also supervised the shooting of furniture in Montreal - it's bliss After that, one thing led to another. Louis Gagnon began his career as an art director with Graphème in Quebec City (Cossette), where he became creative director after three years! The adventure continued in Montreal with Nolin Larosée. When Baronet re-launched him, Louis Gagnon joined Joanne Lefebvre, who had just founded Paprika, in 1991. This business consistency is the hallmark of a path marked out by loyal customers who grow and evolve, often leaving Louis and his partners carte blanche. 32 years later: Home Société, Maison Corbeil, Must, Jardin de ville, Élément de base, Ciot, series of stamps for Canada Post, art books devoted to Peter Lindbergh, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Victor & Rolf, campaigns for the MBAM, MAC, McCord, MNBAQ and MAD museum in Paris, his ephemeral installations bear witness to Louis Gagnon's taste for fashion, beauty and architecture. Always with that distinctive touch, a blend of sobriety, elegance and novelty. Nearly 1,000 awards for excellence in national and international competitions underline the quality of his achievements and, above all, their consistency Since 2003, Louis Gagnon has been teaching at UQAM, a natural extension of his involvement in the industry. He passes on his approach, creativity and rigor to the next generation of designers. Since 2010, he has been a member of the prestigious Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) professional association. To be chosen today for the Les Usherwood Award, among this prestigious list of names that have left their mark on design and advertising in Canada, represents a well-deserved consecration for the little guy from Beauce, who returned to 283 rue Saint Louis, to create a work of art with the family home before it was destroyed.