The butcher who paints: The creative lives of Montreal's Philip Viens

On any given day, chopping echoes through Aliments Viens. With practiced hands, Philip Viens and his team transform flesh, fat, blood, and offal into handcrafted sausages, cold cuts, and rich pâtés. Every motion is deliberate, each incision both a quiet meditation and a reflection of his deep respect for his craft.

But when the shop closes and the knives are set aside, Philip’s meticulous nature finds another outlet in his home studio. The butcher becomes the painter, and his canvases reveal another side of his artistry.

An unexpected pathway

Philip’s journey did not begin in Montreal’s kitchens or butcher shops but on the West Coast in Vancouver, where tulips bloom as early as February. His connection with nature took root there, long before he ever called himself an artist. While he always felt an affinity for art, he never fully embraced the title. Instead, he pursued studies in robotics before dropping out to follow a new dream of becoming a chef.