" I design physical optical illusions and impossible objects for museums, TV and research labs.
Featured in BBC’s Operation Ouch! Best Illusion of the Year, and international science museums".
Olivier Redon
French American Designer Inventor
(Visual illusions)
Finalist in Best Illusions of the Year competition (2021, 2024); "Oh La La Box" acclaimed as Best Illusion by The Sun. Gold medals at international art fairs; G4G, Bridges and Math Festival. Work featured in BBC's Operation Ouch!, science museums worldwide, "Double Take" publication, "Science is Magic" Ages 8-Adults products by The Magic Factory in 52 countries (The Magic Factory is the world’s leading producer of magic boxes) and exhibitions like Science and Industry Museum Manchester. Recreational math challenges with Alex Bellos The Guardian. Annalisa Crannell, editor of The American Mathematical Monthly, features an article in a new MIT Press book that mathematically dissects three of my optical illusions, bridging art and projective geometry.
Welcome to my world.
© 2021 by Olivier Redon
If I have accomplished anything at all, it is not thanks to me alone, but thanks to the extraordinary people with whom I have had the good fortune to work. I have had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most brilliant minds in mathematics, neuroscience, magic, and art, and I am deeply grateful to them for their trust, their time, and their generosity.
My name is Olivier Redon, I am a creative artiste designer. I do not impose any limits on myself. I do not respect the established rules I am a free electron. I trained myself to create in a field where there was little development. "In 1976, at the age of 15, when Olivier was too young to sell the idea, he says he imagined a third brake light center-mounted in the rear of a vehicle.(Center high mount stop lamp CHMSL) Such lights became mandatory in the United States in 1986, according to Wikipedia His light would have been higher up so it could be seen by more than one trailing vehicle" The Almanac. In 2002 ( with helium balloon )I independently invented the concept behind Google earth and Google "street view" for KB HOME. 5 years before Google. As an independent American and French inventor, consultant and creative designer, I specialize in the extraordinary field of optical illusions and impossible objects. With a track record of gold medals at international fairs and recognition from renowned organizations like USPTO, I have dedicated my career to pushing the boundaries of what is possible at the intersection of science, art and magic.
"We didn't know it was
impossible to create
"impossible objects"
so we did it"
All my creations and research are protected by copyright and patent.
I believe in the power of collaboration across disciplines to open up new areas of creativity. By bringing together artists, scientists, creatives and magicians, I have created revolutionary illusions that captivate and inspire. From bi stable perception in motion to impossible interactive objects, my work challenges perception and invites viewers to explore multiple interpretations. Whether 3D or 4D objects that defy expectations, I strive to create experiences that spark wonder and amazement. With my daughter, I created a cutting-edge research laboratory dedicated to the study and testing of illusions. Each new creation is meticulously designed and copyrighted to protect against imitators, ensuring that our innovations remain unparalleled. I work with museums, schools, art galleries and organizations interested in pushing the boundaries of perception. Let’s collaborate and bring the impossible to life together! We received more official recognition by being a finalist in the competition for "the best Illusion of the year" 2021 2024. The judging panel changes every year, but often includes neuroscientists and psychologists.
Major Media Coverage
The Guardian
Featured in a mathematical puzzle column by Alex Bellos, presenting several of Redon’s optical illusions and inviting readers to analyze how the visual paradoxes work.
BBC – Operation Ouch!
Redon’s illusions have been presented in connection with educational demonstrations explaining how the human brain interprets visual information.
The Almanac
The California newspaper featured a profile of Olivier Redon describing his work as an optical illusion creator producing more than 100 visual experiments that combine science and art. video
Richard Wiseman a world of illusion
100th anniversary celebrations Oakland's Magic Circle.
MAA Santa Clara University 2026
Nuremberg trade fair 2025
Los Angeles toy trade 2025
I have created a research laboratory dedicated to the study and testing of illusions. We have invented new geometric shapes that have never been seen before, advancing the fields of science and mathematics.You can find my publications on the Orcid website
Special thanks to my magician friends, my neuroscientist friends, mathematicians, and artists who recognize each other.
"Olivier is one of the world's leading inventors of illusions".
Mark Setteducati, American magicien and inventor of illusions, games and puzzles.
"He is one of the smartest and most inventive people in the field of optical illusions"
Prof Richard Wiseman, Professor of the public understanding of psychology.The benchmark for magic-related content, thanks to its blend of illusions, psychological experiments, and original observations.
“I've been devouring your website. How very wonderful! I'm very much interested in the work you're doing.”
Annalisa Crannell, American mathematician, Editor, The American Mathematical Monthly
and an expert in the mathematics of geometric perspective.
" Olivier your artworks are indeed unique and remarkable"
Christopher William Tyler is a neuroscientist, creator of the autostereogram ("Magic Eye" pictures),and is the Head of the Brain Imaging Center at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
"My work demonstrates that visual illusions are not errors of perception, but essential tools for understanding how the brain constructs reality".
"That is amazing! The illusion was too good, I didn’t believe it!"
Alex Bellos British writer and mathematics communicator who writes a long‑running maths and puzzles column for The Guardian.
"Your illusions are wonderful
You would be a great addition to our line up of presenters".
Stan Allen, producer of MAGIC Live, an annual convention for magicians in Las Vegas.
"Olivier is passionate about art, science, and magic. As an optical illusionist, he can wear all the hats. By strategically tricking the human eye, Olivier and Chloe use their art to make the impossible possible" Jennifer Yoshikoshi, L'Almanac
Optical illusionist creates the impossible
" I like your work, and you opened my eyes to some new illusions".
Scott Kim
Artist, author and recreational mathematician
"Your work is truly fascinating. The way you’ve managed to translate the theoretical concept of "impossible objects" into physical, three-dimensional forms that can be held is incredibly impressive- it is a "cool" and creative intersection of art and perception". E F, PhD Associate Professor
E.F PhD Professor
"Olivier, has created several 3D objects that produce three-dimensional illusions. He explains that these 3D illusion effects occur under normal, binocular, and near viewing conditions. I find it useful to test and report this hypothesis, given the widespread belief that binocular disparity can override fundamental shape constraints".
Lydia Maniatis, Professor in the Psychology (visual illusions)
"You have created truly fascinating images. There is certainly a close link between perspective and mathematics/geometry; your illusions therefore clearly have a mathematical dimension".
Stuart Boersma
Math Horizons, editor
"Very cool work, lots of innovative stuff".
André Armenante Los Angeles–based magician
"Your illusions are not only visually striking but also thought-provoking from a scientific perspective".
Eiji Watanabe
Associate Professor in the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at the National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB) in Okazaki, Japan, known for his research on visual perception, brain mechanics, and artificial intelligence .
"Very interesting"
Justin Flom is an American magician, YouTuber, and social‑media creator
Dr Jo Boaler
Nomellini and Olivier Professor in the Graduate School of Education (Mathematics)
Stanford University
"Olivier your work is very interesting"
"Very nice work, congratulations".
Nicola BRUNO Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Unità di Neuroscienze, Università di Parma
Your hands on presentation at the OMC was wonderful! Thank you for sharing your creativity, and for pushing the art in crafting new optical illusions!
Patrick Martin magician and illusionist
Maths and Puzzles column
The Guardian.
My work is published:
Three illusions appear in the 2027 MIT Press book edited by Annalisa Crannell.
Kinetic spider
Oh la la Box
Kinetik star
Our "Shrinking Box" on BBC
EUROPE
Gold Medal
USA
Gold Medal
USA
Gold Medal
University of Hertfordshire
SLIDER
Olivier Redon and Chloe Redon are featured as illusion designers for interactive exhibits in the Science and Industry Museum's Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You exhibition in Manchester. Their work includes participatory sensory illusions such as the "You’ve been shrunk!" interactive, where visitors can take photos using optical illusions designed by Olivier and Chloe Redon. Other exhibits, like face-flip illusions and negative image stares, further explore brain and perception science, connecting Redon's expertise to the core of Operation Ouch!'s educational experiences in Manchester.
Nuremberg trade fair 2025
Los Angeles toy trade 2025
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Scott Richards gallery San Francisco
Justin Flom Las Vegas
GENEVA
PARIS
Gold Medal
Gold Medal
Science Museum Lab
"Don't trust your eyes" is an optical illusion-themed contribution to the 100th anniversary celebrations of Oakland's Magic Circle.
An ordinary day on a Wix website
"My work demonstrates that visual illusions are not errors of perception, but essential tools for understanding how the brain constructs reality".
© 2021 by Olivier Redon OliRed All rights
reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten, or redistributed.