User:Christophe Du Chemin

Christophe Du Chemin is a pseudonym used by a prominent Canadian architect for work in the creative arts. In 2004, Du Chemin established atelier Christophe Du Chemin as a multi-disciplinary film, art and design studio in Los Angeles. Acknowledging this multi-disciplinary approach, the studio began regularly collaborating with other artists, contributing to exhibitions, producing short films and developing installations for institutions and private collections globally.

The son of an electrical engineer and a concert soprano, Du Chemin was born in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada in 1968. In 1990, while enrolled in the under-graduate program in architecture at the University of Toronto, he studied design under Cristiano Toraldo di Francia, co-founder of the Italian avant-guard design group Superstudio and in 1992, received a degree in architecture from the University of Toronto. Until 2000, he apprenticed in the office of Diamond and Schmitt Architects, an internationally recognized architectural firm with more than 200 regional, national and international awards for design, including six Governor General’s Awards for architecture. In 1996, his design contributions to the office of Diamond and Schmitt would be published in Works - The Architecture of A.J. Diamond, Donald Schmitt and Company, 1968-1995. In January 1997, his work on the Capital Info-Centre in Ottawa, Canada garnered the front page of Canadian Architect Magazine. Similarly in the spring of 2005, his role as project designer for the Regent Park Community Health Center would result in the cover feature of Perspectives Magazine, the official journal of the Ontario Association of Architects. In 2002, Mr. Du Chemin moved to Los Angeles to work with American born architect Barton Myers on several high profile projects which included the central office for prominent recording label Maverick Records and new headquarters for Scott Free Productions, the post-production studio established by English film directors Ridley and Tony Scott. Taking up residence across from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2004, he established atelier Christophe Du Chemin. In 2009, Du Chemin returned to Canada to continue the practice of architecture and in 2011, was accepted into the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. Perhaps influenced by his previous discussions with Ridley Scott, in 2012 he re-established atelier Christophe Du Chemin in Vancouver and continued writing and directing short films as well as producing contemporary art.

What You Don't Know... (2015)
The art of atelier Christophe Du Chemin took a decidedly activist turn in 2015 with "What You Don't Know...". The work condemns one of the world's leading paint manufacturers and it's sale of lead based paints in developing countries. . In this work, over 2000 commercially available paint samples were collected from a western subsidiary of the paint manufacturer over a 2 year period. The samples bare the original names like "Peppermint Pink" and "Green Grove", intended to imply a natural and above all, safe product to consumers. Rather than use a traditional painter's canvas in a conventional way, the paint samples are pinned to the canvas transforming it into a kind of notice board and arranged to indicate danger - something the paint containers neglected to do.