Jonathan Pageau

Jonathan Pageau (; born 30 June 1975) is a French-Canadian icon carver, YouTuber and public speaker on symbolism, religion and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. He is the editor of the Orthodox Arts Journal, the host of the Symbolic World blog and podcast and founder of Symbolic World Press.

Early life and education Pageau's childhood was spent in Montreal, where he was strongly shaped by the dominant Catholic culture of that time. After graduating, he set up a studio, but became frustrated by the "aloofness about Contemporary Art" he was producing.

Pageau's baptismal name is Maximus, namesake of Saint Maximus the Confessor. In his conversation with 2mørVs he said, "My patreon is Saint Maximus, but Saint Gregory (of Nyssa), Saint Ephrem (the Syrian) and Saint Christopher are obviously the saints that I'm the closest to and feel that I am most drawn to and most taught by."

Artistic career

Returning from Africa, Pageau chose to study Orthodox Theology and Iconology at the University of Sherbrooke.

Conservative commentator Bradley Anderson has described Pageau's iconographic work as a response to the "dead ends" of modernism, offering instead art that invites people into community "with reverence and humility." Writer Grayson Quay has described his work as initiating viewers into "the symbolic world" of myth, legend and Scripture.

In addition to creating religious artwork, he teaches seminars in wood carving and iconography. From this time, Pageau has also begun appearing in podcasts with Canadian writer and psychologist Jordan Peterson; he has also collaborated with the American Catholic Bishop, Robert Barron.

Pageau has exhibited his icons in several museums and exhibitions to Orthodox communities in North America. He has argued for a return to artistic treatments of Jesus of the early Church.

Views

He has been seen as an advocate for a symbolic approach to the world, as well as to the Holy Scriptures. His concept of the "symbolic world" holds that all of reality should be understood as a series of interlocking patterns which embody meaning. He argues that humans are innately religious, noting the practice of kneeling that has come with 21st century social activism.

Pageau believes his role as an artist is to explore “the symbolic patterns that underlie our experience of the world.”

Cracks in "cultural cohesion" have been a concern for Pageau. His observation is that Western culture has been returning to paganist patterns of thought, with social practices such as euthanasia, abortion, androgyny, and some aspects of homosexuality. Many of these ideas are explored in Orthodox Arts Journal, where he sits on the editorial board and through his publishing house, Symbolic World Press.

Pageau's work on universal Biblical patterns has influenced others, including American educator David Mathwin. Mathwin argues children learn best when they are able to explore these patterns in the world around them. His brother, Matthieu, writes about symbolic patterns in the Book of Genesis.

Published works

Pageau, Jonathan. Pollington, Heather. (2025) The Tale of Rapunzel and the Evil Witch: Symbolic World Press. ISBN 979-8989083282 .