CHIEN CHAMPION

Montreal, Canada

Chien Champion (Felipe Arriagada-Núñez) is a visual artist based in Montreal. Once bitten one time too many by dogs with sharp teeth, he chose to transform this trauma into a creative force by adopting a canine name—a way of warding off fate and fully inhabiting his imagination.

Since the age of two, Felipe has been drawing with instinctive regularity, as naturally as he eats or sleeps. He depicts the people he loves, the cities he travels through—from Naples to Tokyo—as well as everyday moments: joys, celebrations, mourning, shared meals, memorable films, and sporting highlights. His visual universe thus becomes a sensitive archive of life, both intimate and collective.

His work has led to numerous collaborations and large-scale projects: the illustration of the Nike Montreal Bagel Dunk box (2023), iconic murals such as those at Cinéma Beaubien and Stade Saputo for CF Montréal, the customization of a fleet of Bixi bikes, as well as notable commissions including a goaltender mask for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, a boxing ring for champion Artur Beterbiev, a painting for the Montreal Canadiens displayed at the Bell Centre, and the poster for the 2025 Montreal International Jazz Festival, where he reimagines the iconic Ste-Cath cat.

With his warm colors and deliberately imperfect linework, his work does not seek perfection but life. It tells inhabited stories, celebrating human warmth and popular culture, with a touch of nostalgia. His intention: to touch the heart and rekindle a desire to live in those who look at his images, with the eyes of a child… or not.