Born in 1983, Chanterel Gagnon grew up in Lac-St-Jean. In 2002, she obtained a diploma in visual arts at Cégep de Jonquière and has held a certificate in visual arts from Laval University since 2004. After several trips and moves, she settled in Alma in 2008 with her two children. That same year, she took part in the La Relais Sympose event at the Jonquière National Exhibition Center. She explores several forms of art but always keeps painting as the central axis of her practice. In 2012, she set up the exhibition Mimer l'inexpressible, which combines painting, drawing, sculpture and a giant puppet. It was presented at the Center for Arts and Culture in Chicoutimi. She also participated in various artistic events, including the Tadoussac Painting Happening, the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean International Painting and Sculpture Symposium in 2016 and the Plaine Couleur Symposium in Quebec, the same year.
Multicolored specimens
and Dynamic Phenomena
For nearly twenty years of painting and drawing, I have developed an iconography of organic structures where life is explosive, undulatory, reactive and flourishing. I realize that I have developed a way to escape and thent to learn to love life and thus find what I belong to.
Beeing a naturally explorer, I am inspired by different scientific studies on life in the cosmos, from the infinitely small to the infinitely large. As an human eye situated in between, I found myself in a quest as old as the hills, which is to try to elucidate unsolved mysteries. What do these distant or invisible realities really mean? Is it possible to understand consciousness? How is life pushed to thrive in the deep silence of it's origins? How do I feel about it all?
By visual language, I place myself in a context where I can have fun with these enigmatic realities that are the forces and elements of nature. They merge if necessary or fertilize if they want, as if they really existed on the canvas. I play alchemist. I probe the minerals, I feed the fire, the molecules organize themselves. From a chaos where everything mixes, strange singularities emerge, invented solutions arises, semi-abstract, almost recognizable.
The images that I present to you are the outcome of a long adventure filled with choices, reactions and learning. I transform the composition until reaching a happy ending since I seek healing, balance and to share with you my love of life.
I hope I have given you an idea of what goes on behind the scenes of my work. Perhaps by looking at my images, you will see emerging the atmosphere of my explorations in the universe!
I consider myself a descendant of the symbolism and surrealism line of thought. I also have an approach similar to the artists in a movement called visionary art. They also mainly use the medium of painting which allows this kind of intimate exploration which is specific to each painter.
resume
Studies
2003 to 2004 Laval University - Certificate in visual arts
2000 to 2002 Cégep de Jonquière - Diploma of college studies in visual arts
S o l o s Ex p o s i t i o n s
2019 Love in three times and other mysteries of the universe, Roberval Library, Roberval
2015 Chemical landscapes and colorful beings, Alma Library, Alma
2014 Women of color and chemical landscapes, La Galerie, Saguenay
2013 Temporal migration, (Painting) Café-theater Côté-cour, Jonquière
2012 Mimer l'inexpressible, (installation of an interactive manipulatable puppet, sculpture and painting drawings), Center for Arts and Culture, Chicoutimi
Exposures during events
2014 Giant jellyfish puppet, International Folk Sale Festival, Ste-Rose-du-Nord
2013 Previews (drawings and puppet) as part of the Flashe fête (IQ l’atelier, Alma
2012 The pantomime beyond the senses, Maniganses- International Festival of Puppetry Arts, Jonquière
C o l l e c t i v e ex p o s i t i o n s
2008 The next generation sympose, National Exhibition Center, Jonquière
2006 Multitude, Boiling Workshops, Quebec
2004 Hors d’oeuvre, Laval University, Quebec
Other recent achievements
2020 Urban pictorial development for the pedestrian street in the town of Roberval,,
Roberval
2010 to 2019 Volunteer or paid involvement in the organization of numerous events/festivals/shows jointly with L'art Salé and the troupe des Porteurs d'Étincelles, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
2019 Creation of an animated film as part of Culture Days,
Ste-Rose-du-Nord
2014 Production of visual material for the programming of the falshe fete, IQ L’atelier, Alma
Prices and stock market
2020 Sculpture competition, professional component, Saguenay en neige, Saguenay,
audience award
2018 Fond des arts scholarship, Alexis le Trotteur foundation, Alma
2013 and 2018 Sculpture competition, professional component, Saguenay en neige, Saguenay,
2nd Prize
2004 L’image des mots competition, Laval University, 2nd prize
P u b l i c a t i o n
2020 Publication of my works and text in the art magazine Creaturae, volume 2, Édition KréA2 Inc, December 2020, p.48 to 51