Émilie Bernard

Émilie Bernard's practice is driven by the natural world, and manifests itself in her interpretations of natural elements. In her drawings, minimalist sculptures and silkscreen prints, she analyzes various subjects by simplifying their forms, modifying their scale and colors, abandoning their volume to work with flat surfaces, playing with subtle nuances or adding imperceptible details. Inhabited by a keen interest in the large-scale deployment of pieces, the artist creates these works by multiplying the variants tenfold. Each adopted subject can thus be repeated at various scales, in different sets or compositions. In her exhibitions, the artist's works are complemented by found objects, artist's books and texts. All these pieces unfold with patience, unwavering delicacy and meticulousness. They then take their place in space, finding their momentary anchorage in constantly shifting installations.

Émilie Bernard has been interested in the artist's book for many years. This residency at the Fonderie Darling is an extraordinary opportunity for her to carry out exploratory research around the book and to appropriate this medium as a creative object. Her quest covers a study of formats and materials, but above all an experimentation with different types of binding. She plans to make numerous models, then produce one or more artist's books including drawings, prints and text.

This stay in Montreal is also an opportunity for the artist to establish contacts with local professional resources that can give shape and meaning to her project. She hopes to visit the studios of artists working with books and contemporary bookbinding, and to add a new dimension to her work with books by learning how to make her own paper.

Biography

Émilie Bernard holds a Master's degree in Visual Arts from Université Laval. She exhibits in various artist-run centers, museums, galleries and exhibition centers in Quebec and Europe. For several years now, she has been regularly involved in creative residencies. Her research has taken her to various regions of Quebec, Vermont, Finland, Iceland, Armenia, France, Alberta and New Brunswick. Her practice remains multifaceted: drawing, object, silkscreen and artist's book. Several times supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts and Première Ovation, in 2022 she was a finalist for the Prix du CALQ - Artiste de l'année en Gaspésie. Since 2021, she has been represented by Galerie.a (Quebec City). After more than 20 years in Quebec City, she now lives and works in Cap-Chat, Gaspésie.

Recent exhibitions

2023	Points de rencontre, Group exhibition, Saint-Armand, CA Être sur son X, Group exhibition Galerie.a, Québec, CA Les fleurs passagères, Group exhibition, Musée acadien du Québec, Bonaventure, CA La forêt aux coquillages (temps I), Group exhibition, Espace Parenthèses, Québec, CA
2022	Deuxièmes jardins, Group exhibition, Centre d’exposition de Val-d’Or (Voart), Val-d’Or, CA
2021	Sentier d’été, Group exhibition, Galeries Weekend Montréal, Édifice Belgo, Montréal, CA
2020	La fin des sentiers, Centre d'artistes l'Œil de Poisson, Québec, CA
2019	Jardins, Centre d’artistes Engramme, Québec, CA