The Art of Staying Afloat : The canoe shows some (new) skin | Bota Bota, spa-sur-l'eau

Bota Bota

The Art of Staying Afloat : The canoe shows some (new) skin

Sarah Bourdeau Turpin, the team’s front starboard rower, approached visual artist Phelippe Soldevila Dinan, a Concordia graduate, and entrusted him with the ambitious task of covering the team’s efficient new canoe with a bespoke work. And ambitious it indeed was, because, as he recounts, the process proved a logistical challenge that took him out of his comfort zone.

That said, Phelippe took it all in stride, being the seasoned artist that he is. Over the years, he has brought his artistic flourish to trucks, cars and containers. And then there are all his murals. After doing some research, in the form of taking the canoe out on the river with the team, he dug into this extravagant project with unbridled enthusiasm.

“I worked with the boat’s big curves and long right lines to give it a dynamic, confident appearance,” he explains. “To imbue it with positivity, I used lots of bright colours. My aim was to create something that could transmit energy to the team on board.”

The result is an impressive abstract work full of intricate details. It will no doubt help motivate the team as intended.

Phelippe wishes to thank Flippytan, Gael and Patrick, as well as the project’s logistics team, for their assistance in this creative undertaking.