Rouages: “Everything comes together to tell a story”
Thierry Vicente is an illustrator, layout artist, and graphic designer in the Campus Life Department. From the covers of *Lum* magazine to posters for major university events, as well as various brochures and logos, he shapes and leaves his mark onUM visual identity with his inimitable style. He tells us about this work this month in the video series Rouages produced by the University of Montpellier.
Some people may not know his name or recognize his face, but anyone who works at the University of Montpellier has surely come across his art. From open house posters to UM T-shirts UM the stunning covers of *Lum* magazine, Thierry Vicente has been delighting our eyes for over ten years. After several years in communications, this illustrator, layout artist, and graphic designer now wields his brushes and pencils—now digital—within the Campus Life Department (DVC). Housed in Building 5 on the Triolet campus, the DVC brings together about fifty staff members“whose main mission is to contribute to the well-being of staff and students,” summarizes Thierry Vicente, who works in the events and communications division.
Among the many initiatives undertaken to fulfill this mission are flagship events that set the tone for the year atUM the open house in February, the staff party in June, Christmas… There are also awareness-raising campaigns such as “Donner des Elles àUM,” as well as weeks dedicated to combating racism, antisemitism, and LGBT+ phobia.“Of course, I work with my department to handle the organization and logistics of these major events, and even when the goal is simply to celebrate, it requires a lot of work and dedication to ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves and feel good,” says Thierry Vicente.
Bringing a Vision to Life
But beyond the actual organization of these events, it is in the creation of a visual world capable of conveying the intended message that the artist truly reveals themselves. Who, upon hearing about the “Donner des Elles àUM event, hasn’t immediately pictured that midnight-blue poster, whose calligraphy seems so familiar to us today?“It’s a typeface I drew by hand; it represents both a bird and the word ‘elle.’ On this type of poster, you often see a woman or a character depicted, but here we wanted to move away from that so that everyone could relate to it,” explains Thierry Vicente, for whom every communication medium is the result of collective reflection.
Brochures, logos, guides, newsletters—everything related to the Campus Life Department’s visual identity passes through her hands… and her mind.“Our department works in direct collaboration with several vice-presidencies. We start with a vision set forth by university leadership that must be embodied in the various initiatives carried out by Campus Life, and for me, that translates into graphic design. ” A UM logo in rainbow colors for LGBTQ+ Pride Week, two gender-neutral hands crossed in an X to raise awareness about sexual and gender-based violence, a hummingbird made of words for Open House, and smiling faces to combat racism and antisemitism.“Here, too, we wanted to break away from the expected imagery. We often see protest figures with raised fists. I chose to depict four people—likely of different nationalities, or at least with different backgrounds—who form a group and are smiling, with the slogan: ‘Smile at Difference.’”
Spotlight on the Covers
Since 2015, Thierry Vicente has also been the writer—or rather, the artist—behind Lum magazine, which he illustrates and lays out in collaboration with Caroline Macker, a graphic designer in the communications department.“Looking at the first and last covers, I can see that my work has evolved tremendously. My tools have, too! I started out using almost nothing but a mouse, but now I have the same digital painting tools used at Pixar or Disney, and a flip-up screen that lets me recapture the feel of being a traditional illustrator.”
Twenty-one covers in nearly ten years, some of which have left a lasting impression onUM visual identityUM an orangutan holding its baby close (No. 8), a polar bear frolicking in the desert (No. 12), a ship flying the UM flag UM a storm for a special COVID issue, an explorer probing the depths of the ocean (No. 18) or the forest for the particularly well-executed cover of the latest issue.“That’s really the one I worked on the most—I won’t say how many hours—and I loved it! ” But her favorite remains issue No. 3, a profile of a child—her daughter, Eva. “There’s an overlap between my professional and personal work; what I do at home and what I experience feeds into my work here at the university, and conversely, what I produce here enriches my personal practice.”
Indoor Library
And when you ask this passionate artist what he loves so much about his work, the answer comes quickly:“Telling a story! Light, the play of shadows, composition, characters, the setting… Everything comes together to tell a story, and that’s something I’ve learned over time. ” For it wasn’t in school that Thierry Vicente honed his drawing skills, but as a self-taught artist, through the sheer power of observation, curiosity, and a willingness to make plenty of mistakes.“When you want to pursue this profession, it’s best to build a vast inner library where you can store literature, graphic art, painting, and music. Everything that enriches us as human beings is an experience that will enable us to create, illustrate, and meet the need for visual expression.”