André-Médard Bourgault

I have been doing wood carving for almost 60 years. I started my career in my dad’s wood shop. I’ve learned so much from him. We were five brothers sculpting together, and I’ve had the chance to exhibit with them. Our last exhibition was in 1990, at the Musée Laurier. To me, wood carving is a family thing. It allows me to perpetuate the name Bourgault as well as the tradition.

In the beginning, my sculptures often revolved around religious art. Now, my style is more contemporary and figurative. I love to carve the female body: it is so beautiful! In each of my sculptures, I like to inspire myself with a season and integrate its representation. For example, some of my characters evoke spring. Today, I work mostly with hardwoods. Apple wood and cherry wood are my favourites, due to their wonderful colour. Each time, the log’s shape tells me what I have to create.