Jan 16 - Jun 19, 2020 Douglas family art centre

Michel St. Hilaire HIGH SPEED

HIGH SPEED is symbolic of how our technological frequencies and infrastructure create intrusion in our natural habitat. It is the dance we all attend with our environment - the beauty and health of our wilderness juxtaposed with ongoing economic growth. In this new series, inspired by the Kenora area, Michel St.Hilaire offers a portrait of a new era where humanity's relationship with nature is put in conflict by a thirst for convenience. Pristine landscapes are scored by aggressive lines, highlighting the stark contrast between nature and technology inviting the viewer to contemplate tensions created between nature and humankind.

MICHEL ST. HILAIRE

Michel Saint Hilaire is a self-taught artist. His work is inspired by universal themes, ranging from human infrastructures intersecting with those of natural environments to the complexity of interpersonal relationships. Hilaire uses avant-garde mixed media techniques, layering dry medium over traditional paint with a focus on architectural motifs and geometric design.

Michel has had solo and group exhibitions in diverse cities in several commercial galleries in western Canada. The most recent exhibition is currently being shown at Elevation Gallery in Canmore, Alberta. He also had a solo exhibition at the contemporary artist run centre La Maison Des Artistes entitled Horizon in 2009 and an exhibition entitled Transitions in 2006 at « La Galerie » in the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre in Winnipeg.

For several years he has created diverse large-scale murals throughout the city of Winnipeg. His paintings are part of various collections: private and corporate, including the Province of Manitoba, Investors Group and Manitoba Hydro.

You may also be interested in:
Artist Talk with Michel St. Hilaire (February 1 at 2pm)
Guided Tour: High Speed (February 18 at 2pm)
Guided Tour: High Speed (March 14 at 2pm)
Explorative Mixed Media Landscapes with Michel St. Hilaire (March 28 at 1pm)

Did you know?

Kenora was once named Rat Portage. The name came from the Anishinabe name of the local portage site, which was Wauzhushk Onigum, which meant, “portage to the country of the muskrat”.