Regards et nuances
Without claiming to reinvent the portrait, the exhibition presents a series of paintings representing portraits of women and men from the artist's entourage in a multitude of positions and in a range of colors. In Martine Ménard's artistic practice, the face and the human body are elements that remain predominant and recurring. Over the years, she has perfected her portraiture techniques and developed a style that borders on abstraction, where the color palette that is chosen and the brushstrokes are as important as the figures represented. She wishes to celebrate the beauty that is the human being, to bring it forward in a rather traditional way in this era centered on the visual and in which the spectator is jaded and tired with the multitude of projected images on screens. The exhibition therefore offers a series of paintings in acrylic paint on canvas representing portraits of women and men in her surroundings. The faces are presented in a multitude of positions and in a range of colors.
In Martine Ménard's artistic practice, the face and the human body are elements that remain predominant and recurring. Over the years, she has perfected her portraiture techniques and developed a style that borders on abstraction, where the chosen color palette and the brushstrokes are as important as the figures represented.
She wants to celebrate the beauty that is the human being, to carry it forward in a rather traditional way in this era focused on the visual and in which the viewer is jaded and has a tired eye from the multitude of images projected on screens. The exhibition therefore offers a series of acrylic paintings on canvas representing portraits of women and men from her entourage. The faces are presented in a multitude of positions and in a range of colours.
Originally from the Coaticook region, Martine Ménard obtained her degree in fine arts and art history from Concordia University in 2010. In 2012, she presented her first solo exhibition at the Beaulne Museum in Coaticook. Her work has been seen in several exhibitions and artistic events in the Eastern Townships, including the Bleu exhibition at the Maison des arts et de la culture de Brompton in 2015. She also shares her passion for figurative art by leading painting workshops. Since 2013, Martine has enhanced her work in painting and drawing by joining a team of muralists and leaving her mark on the walls of Sherbrooke and elsewhere. She regularly collaborates with other talented artists to create large-scale indoor and outdoor murals.
In 2024, Martine received a creation grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the MRC of Coaticook. She designed and created a collaborative design, painted on the ground of the skatepark at Bellevue Park in Waterville Qc., which became her most impressive creation to date.
Opening reception September 15th, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Welcome everyone!