Michel Saulnier

I first studied art history. I started painting between my bachelor’s and master’s degree. Soon enough practice took over theory, although I’ve always preserved the traces of my historian past. I taught Art History in college, I have been the curator for numerous exhibitions, and I cofounded Saint-Jean-Port-Joli’s artist residency, Est-Nord-Est. I started getting known in the ’80s by producing painted wood panels. My first bear, sculpted in 1984 during a symposium in Baie-Saint-Paul, became an object of communication that radically influenced my work.

My work is deeply rooted in childhood, art history and sculpture. I like to present many levels of readings and senses, to locate the real within the poetic space, and to allow a glimpse of other possible worlds. To date, I’ve produced around 30 public art projects as well as about 30 solo exhibitions in North America, Europe and Japan.