When the art of Quebec shines forth in Belgium

Two remarkable sculptures by Quebec artist Jean-Pierre Larocque have been donated by the collectors Roger Gariépy and Michel Ostiguy to Myriad Canada, which will now be responsible for their preservation and promotion. Entrusted to the Centre de la Céramique Keramis, the sculptor will now enjoy greater visibility in Belgium after having his work exhibited at the prestigious 17100 La Poste, a cultural and artistic centre in Montreal.

Called Grande tête (Big Head), the sculptures represent faces in clay, created by layer upon layer of superimposed sediment. Thanks to Myriad Canada, these emblematic works can now be discovered in Belgium at the Centre de la Céramique Keramis in La Louvière, where they will be exhibited for a period of three years.

“Entrusting these two works to the Keramis Museum provides JeanPierre Larocque with the opportunity to be present and visible in Europe”, says Isabelle de Mévius, Curator and Founder of the prestigious 1700 La Poste, where she is Executive and Artistic Director.

“People in Belgium and Europe will be fascinated to discover Jean-Pierre Larocque’s way of working and the originality of his creative method.”

A Belgian who has lived in Montreal for almost thirty years, Isabelle de Mévius aims to promote all forms of visual arts. It was on her initiative, at the start of 2019, that the Quebec sculptor and ceramic artist was given a one-man show at the 1700 La Poste, formerly Postal Station but now a beautifully renovated space devoted to the visual arts and their discursive challenges.

“Larocque is known for the originality of his approach and his innovative mastery of ceramics. His career has been crowned with success and recognition in the USA but his sculptural work had never been presented in Montreal where he was born. This retrospective exhibition aimed to emphasise the quality and coherence of his work across the years.”

Located in the old quarter of Montreal, 1700 La Poste is a centre for art and for exhibitions that promote the work of artists who are important but sometimes not widely known. “Through retrospective exhibitions, the publication of

monographs and the production of documentaries about such artists, 1700 La Poste aims to offer them greater visibility and help establish their work and career” explains Isabelle de Mévius.

Exhibiting these two valuable but very heavy sculptures in Belgium would not have been possible without the help of 1700 La Poste, which graciously financed their exceptional journey to Belgium.

The retrospective show offered to Jean-Pierre Larocque at the 1700 La Poste represented significant recognition for this important Quebec artist who now, through Myriad Canada, can be better known outside North America.

Jean-Pierre Larocque Born in Montreal in 1953, Jean-Pierre Larocque is recognised as one of the leading sculptors and ceramic artists in North America. He has had over 20 solo exhibitions, some fifteen of which were in the USA. His sculptures are held in both private and public collections, including those of the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.