Willène Pilate is a French contemporary artist, born in 1981 in Sarcelles.

As a child, she was already drawing everywhere, all the time. Considered an overly sensitive child, she developed her own world very quickly.

After studying film, she maintained a close connection with art by exploring her artistic world through techniques such as pinhole photography, photography, video, drawing, and painting. Even today, learning creative techniques remains her passion: screen printing, engraving, and gilding. She also trained in wildlife drawing in 2023.

 

The daughter of a butcher, her interest in animals developed in opposition to her father's work. The loss of her dog was also a turning point in her animal rights activism.

Willène Pilate was committed to the anti-speciesist movement, which posits that the species to which an animal belongs is not a relevant criterion for deciding how it should be treated, nor for the moral consideration it should be accorded. Willène Pilate rejected the hierarchy between animal species and, in particular, the superiority of human beings over other animals.

She actively participates in events and discussions on animal rights and the convergence of feminist, ecological and anti-racist struggles.

 

Since 2023, Willène Pilate has been a committed animal painter. Her work is inspired by Rosa Bonheur, particularly her attention to detail and the expressive power of animals, but with a contemporary and socially engaged approach. Her works carry a strong message: animals are individuals, with a history, feelings, desires, and suffering.

She uses a variety of techniques such as ink drawing, acrylic painting, collage, as well as materials like gold and brass for her animal portraits.

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Through her portraits, Willène Pilate seeks to change our perception of animals, highlighting their beauty and sensitivity. She has notably worked on series of portraits and texts about sacred, animal persons .