Antoine O'Donoughue

Antoine O’Donoughue was born in Montréal in 1990. He was introduced to painting by his mother, an art teacher in high school. He is the twin brother of the artist Francis O’Donoughue. Since the age of 12, Antoine has had a fascination for the internet and its influence on society. He describes the web as the hive mind of humanity, the embryo of collective consciousness. He studied cinema and communications before doing his BFA in Art Education at Concordia University. In 2013, artist Joe Becker’s exhibition at Phi Centre had a strong impact on Antoine and convinced him to become a painter. Antoine’s work is mostly rooted in western popular culture and experiences from his own life. He studies the classical techniques of the old masters to make amusing yet puzzling imaginary scenes. The era of Romanticism is also one of his recent sources of inspiration. Ufology, 90s nostalgia, and adolescence are recurring themes in his paintings. In Les Crépuscules, Antoine’s palette has progressively darkened towards the night and the late stages of dusk. Antoine holds an MFA in Visual Arts from University of Ottawa.