Raymond Pilon, a pioneer in Montreal’s street art scene better known as Zïlon, has died.
Beauchamp Art Galleries owner Vincent Beauchamp shared the news on Saturday.
“Zïlon was the father of Quebecois street art, an artistic movement that he initiated with a passion matched only by his boundless creativity,” he said in a statement.
A cause of death has not yet been shared.
Pilon’s death came as a shock, said Beauchamp in an interview, explaining that the artist had several projects in the works and had just celebrated his 67th birthday.
Born into a Montreal family, Pilon made a name for himself in the 1980s with his bold and rebellious aesthetic.
The prominent painter’s murals can be seen splashed on streets and alleys across Montreal and beyond.
“This punk musician energy that he embodied from the early 80s, Zïlon never lost it,” said Beauchamp.
“He carried within himself a worldview that allowed him to metabolize underground culture, popular culture, design, and social advocacy through his expression in street art and the creation of his own language, his own artistic signature.
Pilon’s final mural was painted on Le Diamant, a performing arts venue in Quebec City.
