| "My goal is to approach painting as an assault on the Cartesian dimension of the surface; to bring into confrontation the spirit of disorder in the colour and the spirit of order in the structure. To enter the physicality of painting with my body through new materials and processes, to search for enlightenment through the bursts of execution, to abolish time in it, to recognize history."
Michèle Drouin was born in Quebec City in 1933. She studied at the School of Fine Arts, graduating in 1955. After moving to Montreal in the early 60’s, she obtained a Bachelor in Art Education from the University of Quebec in Montreal in 1966 followed by a Masters Degree in Visual Arts from Concordia University in 1973. Since the 1970’s, Michèle Drouin has had over 40 solo exhibitions including Drawings Anjou Theatre, Montreal and Atelier Renee LeSieur, Quebec City (1956), Celebrations Galatee Gallery, Paris, France (1975), Celebrations Long -Sault Gallery, St. Andrews, Quebec and Joliette Cultural Centre (1977), Paintings Long-Sault Gallery, Quebec (1979), Baie-Saint-Paul Art Centre, Quebec (1980), Mini-Retrospective H.E.C. Gallery, University of Montreal (1981), Paintings 79-81 Sir Wilfred Pelletier Hall, Place des Arts, Montreal (1981), Drummondville Exhibition Centre (1982), Cultural Centre University of Sherbrooke (1982), Mashomac Suite Gallery 13, Montreal (1984), Souffles et courants Maison de la Culture, Cote-des-Neiges, Montreal (1985), Mashomac Suite The Gallery, Saskatoon (1986), Gallery Elca London, Montreal (1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993), Klonaridis Gallery, Toronto (1988, 1989), Estampe Plus Gallery, Quebec (1990), Paintings 1984-1990 Arts Sutton Gallery, Quebec (1990), Maison Trestler, Quebec (1991), Recent Paintings Canada House Cultural Centre, London, England (1991), Poesie du signe, Poesie du geste: Drouin, Mahdaoui Baie-Saint-Paul Exhibition Centre, Quebec (1994) and International Cultural Center, Hammamet, Chyiem Gallery, Tunisia (1997) Opening/Closing (Ouverture/Fermeture) 55 Mercer Gallery, New York and Waddington & Gorce Gallery, Montreal and Madeleine Lacerte Gallery, Quebec City (1996), The Passage Of Light Arts Sutton Gallery, Quebec (1997), Moore Galllery, Toronto (1998). A small selection of her group exhibitions include Spring Show Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1955), Societe des Arts Plastiques de la Province de Quebec, (1955, 1956), Five Woman Artists Palais Montcalm, Quebec City (1955), Three Young Painters Atelier Renee LeSieur, Quebec City (1961), Women Artists Vehicule Art Gallery, Montreal (1973), Societe des Artistes Professionnels du Quebec West Broadway Gallery, New York (1976), Vlllth International Festival of Painting Grimaldi Museum, Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France (1976), SAPQ Bonaventure Plaza, Montreal, Colline Gallery, New Brunswick, Quebec Museum, Quebec (1977), Societe des Artistes en Arts Visuels du Quebec Pleiades Gallery, New York and Randall Galleries, New York (1979), Canadian Artists NoHo Gallery, New York (1980), Selection From The Westburne Collection Edmonton Art Gallery traveling to Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary, Rodman Hall Arts Centre, St. Catherines, Dalhousie University Art Gallery, Nova Scotia, Oakville Galleries, Ontario, Owens Art Gallery, Sackville, N.B., Sir George Williams Art Galleries, Montreal (1982/83), Canadian Painting: The Current Generation Edmonton Art Gallery (1983), Available Art Montreal Museum of Fine Art (1983), Elca London Gallery, Montreal (1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992), Gallery 13, Montreal (1984, 1985, 1987), New Acquisitions of the Quebec Art Bank Museum of Quebec (1986), Chroma-Quebec traveling to McMaster Gallery, Hamilton, Hart House, Toronto, Laurentian U. Museum & Art Centre, Sudbury, Maison de la Culture Notre-Dames-de-Grace, Montreal, McIntosh Gallery, London (1986/87), Symposium of the New Painting In Canada Baie-St-Paul, Quebec (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992), The Pratt & Whitney Canada Collection Action Gallery, Quebec (1989), 4th, 5th and 6th Annual Art For All Edmonton Art Gallery (1989, 1990, 1991), Estampe Plus Gallery, Quebec City (1988, 1990, 1993), Arts Sutton Gallery, Quebec (1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994), Terre-Terre, Canada/Amerique latine Museum of the Americas, Washington (1992), Sheffield Lake ‘93 Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston (1993), Rencontre Canada-Tunisie Sophonisbe Cultural Space, Carthage, Tunisia (1994), Bugera/Kmet Galleries, Edmonton (1994, 1996), Pienture.Ponctuation 1994 Joliette Museum of Art (1994), Waddington & Gorce Gallery, Montreal (1995, 1997), 16 X One: Inner Landscapes Gallery One, Toronto (1996), Madeleine Lacerte Gallery ARCO ‘97 Madrid, Spain (1997)Outremont 2D-3D Outremont Art Gallery, Montreal (1998). The paintings of Michèle Drouin can be found in public, corporate and private collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal, Collection Pret d’Oevres d’Art du Quebec, Quebec Museum, Collections des Musees Nationaux, Tunisia, the Edmonton Art Gallery, the Agnes Etherington Centre, Kingston, the Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery, Oshawa, the Mendel Art Gallery, Edmonton, the Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec, Bank of Canada, Ottawa, Royal Bank of Canada, Montreal, Toronto and New York, Air Canada, General Electric Canada, IBM, New York, Gaz Metropolitain, Montreal, Gazoduc TQM, Montreal, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Orlando, Mouvement Desjardins, Levis, Quebec, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Inc., Longueuil, United Westburne Canada.
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