You’re not dreaming—you’re just looking at one of Valentin Pavageau’s hypnotic compositions that blend illustration and graphic design into mesmerizing digital renderings.

Pavageau studied art at Atelier Guist’hau-Rollin in Nantes, France, an education that easily could have pushed him towards a more traditional aesthetic. Instead, he drew inspiration from the canonical figures he studied—surrealists such as Salvador Dalí, for example—then leveraged these influences as a jumping off point from which to push the boundaries of distortion, defining a style all his own.

Pavageau’s digital collages are filled with bold geometric patterns and vibrant color schemes that play with perspective and guide the eye. His emphasis on lighting along with the addition of an occasional, solitary character lends each piece a narrative, a nod to his fascination with film. By incorporating intense, repetitive lines and shadows, Pavageau creates an illusion of movement, stimulating a seductively dizzying experience for the viewer—a trance you’ll never want to snap out of. 

You can check out their latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

I think it was a small series of adventurous comic books I started to draw when I was five (full of adventure and sci-fi, if I remember well). The story centered around a character named Lapa, which can be translated as “no have.” This amused my parents because he didn’t possess a nose nor ears, but this was a pure coincidence: a plain smiley face was just way more convenient to draw. 

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Minimalistic, surrealistic, psychedelic.

What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?

A quite recent one where I had to create a poster for an upcoming VR show. It had to be one image that summed up different scenes, different stories. It was a bit of a challenge as I usually try to focus on one central element and keep my pieces as minimalistic as possible, but it was a great experience.

What’s one creative project that taught you something fundamental about yourself?

I can’t think of one in particular, but I’d say every commissioned work that has unusual constraints teaches me something new or takes me out of my comfort zone. Every project teaches me that I tend to underestimate the time I need to reach what I want… 

Do you think creativity is something you’re born with, or something you’re taught?

I’d say I was born with it, but like many other fields, it still requires a lot of practice. I had periods of time, sometimes years, when I didn’t create anything, and I felt my appetite and skills almost disappear. I believe it is important to practice your craft on a regular basis to keep the mind fresh and open to new influences. Emulation can have great effects, too. 

What’s the last dream you had?

I had a bunch of weird dreams recently. In one, my roommate, who has been taking drawing lessons in real life, came home with countless incredible new pieces of art and I was really jealous. I don’t know what a psychoanalyst would do with this, but I don’t want to know. 

One hundred years from now, what do you hope people write about your work?

If there’s any trace at all of my work in a hundred years, I would be glad! And more specifically, I hope it stands the test of time and remains mysterious and evocative.

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