Olivier Messas was born on the 22nd of January 1977, in Hô-Chi-Minh-City, Vietnam. At the age of two, he left for France with his family. They arrived in Marseilles and then moved to Lyon where the young boy spend his childhood and teenage years.His father was a house painter, this was a source of dreams for the small boy who believed his father to be… an artist! This was probably a sign of fate. As it is for most Asian families, the most important was to blend in easily and successfully, without any fuss, in a new land of which they did not speak the language or know the cultural codes. Luckily they quickly found friends and were helped in this transition. Olivier’s’ family then gave all they could to their children and allowed them the opportunity to fulfill their destiny. Olivier’s vision of life is strongly fueled and linked to his family values: a mixed culture, self-will, an opened mind, self respect and of the others, solidarity, spirituality but also to his cultural roots: Buddhism and French culture make a mixed family, thanks to his French grand parents from the region of the Vosges to whom Olivier will always be strongly linked.
He studied to be an accountant. However, he saw that his studies were not what he wished to do: he aspired to something else, something which he had carried with him for a long time. It was time for him to “become what one is” to quote Nietzsche. He left the comfort of his family home and began a second life. His character grew and his personality showed its’ true colours, more outlandish, more dashing. He studied anew in the universe of fashion and creation. He lived three years of daring activity and creativity from which his artistic personality came to grow. He moved to Paris and quickly found himself in the fashion “milieu”, a job which he loved and where he could bring the richness of his origins but also his dreams of colours, of shapes, of patterns. It was during many trips and journeys thanks to many encounters with much varied personalities and culture, that he found a new equilibrium between a certain spirituality and true pragmatism.
As time went by, he deepened his taste in painting and defined his style: bright colours, an inspiration derived from nature, strong straight lines on large canvases.
Olivier Messas is living between France and Germany. His artwork is exhibited in various galleries in Europe.
Update: Added origami projects
