Souvenirs récents is a series of art works, based on the integration of elements related to my family history. It especially illustrates the relationship between women and creativity. This project had been a very personal creation process; I worked with themes and materials that are dear to me, while exploring my mother’s and grandmother’s creativity. Their artistic vibes could be felt through their personality, storytelling, drawings, paintings, and family portraits. Gathering stories, images and secrets, I’ve been sort of a family memories archivist. I looked through photo albums and drawing books, and collected the pieces that I used in the creation of new art works.
Project Genesis
The series started with the idea of revisiting canvas painted by my mother in the ‘70s. A new artistic meaning, coming from my own imagination, had been added to them through techniques that characterize my work: photography, collage, image transfer, etc. Past and present, family’s imagination is revealed through art works that keep evolving. This creativity, passed from mother to daughter, also invites onlookers to rediscover their own family mythology.
Souvenirs récents acknowledges the importance of history in my artistic development. For three generations, women have been artistically creative. For a long time, my grandmother painted watercolour landscapes and portraits. My mother had a ceramic studio for 20 years and also drew and painted during her free time. I now discover the artistic vision they’ve given me, and I feel that its power grew from a generation to another. I believe this will keep evolving within the future generations…
The exhibition took place at Art Neuf, Montreal, in March 2008
