Biography
Johanne Brouillette is a Canadian abstract painter who has been living and working out of her studio located just North of Montréal for over 25 years.
The artist studied and painted figurative landscapes in oil for 20 years but chose to never exhibit or sell her artwork. Feeling bored and considering giving up her painting altogether, she finally decided to attend an abstract workshop in 2016 and immediately found her new passion. She has since taken numerous workshops, specialized courses and residencies and continues to perfect her art to this day. Inspired by Québec Automatistes painters such as Riopelle, Borduas and Ferron, she has found freedom of expression in abstraction pursued through automatism: an instinctive, unpremeditated form of creating art, and has created a fresh language all her own.
Johanne Brouillette is a jury elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists, the Federation of Canadian Artists and Mondial Art Academia in France.
Her abstract paintings have been included in over 60 regional, national and international juried exhibits and have been awarded several prizes. In 2019, her art appeared in the Art Edit section of House & Garden Magazine in the United Kingdom and was featured in Issue 15 of Spotlight Contemporary Art Magazine, in France. Selected by Folio Annual as one of the best emerging abstract artists of 2019, her artworks were published in their inaugural book in the Spring of 2020. In July 2020 she was awarded the Antoinette Stevens Award “Best in Show” by the Society of Canadian Artists.
Her work is represented in galleries and both private and corporate collections throughout worldwide.
Artist Statement
Having chosen to renounce from figurative painting a few years ago, I paint medium and large format abstracts in an expressionist and gestural style. The palette I use is varied and can be either muted and monochromatic or vibrant with hits of color. I always include areas of black for its confrontational as well as paradoxical effect that is both grounding and indicative of endless depth.
My search for balance is fundamental in my work. The challenge for me is to reconcile my natural tendency to perfect, polish and organize with my strong desire for freedom and disorder. Evidence of this can be seen in both my process and finished product. Although the initial foundation is applied rather spontaneously and with limited censorship, the subsequent layering shows a strong influence of my conscious mind. During this process, various marks, shapes and colors are added and then manipulated in order to build a complex yet intuitive painting. Upon first glance, the end result often appears chaotic and almost random. As such, my work mirrors my internal struggle to find balance between the opposing aspects of my personality. My works incorporate both intense raw emotion and quiet tranquility and are a reflection of my recent experiences at any given time. My purpose is to give voice to what is felt but unseen.
”I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
Georgia O’keeffe
Invitational Exhibitions
January 2021 – Abstract Expressions: Women Paint, Moberg Art Gallery, Des Moines, Iowa
February 2021 –Distinctive Voices, Alpine Art Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah (Upcoming)
December 2019 – February 2020 – Group Christmas Show, Moberg Art Gallery, Des Moines, Iowa
September – October 2019 – Kicking Abstract and Taking Names, Moberg Art Gallery, Des Moines, Iowa
Solo Exhibitions
2022 – Entre nous deux, Place des Citoyens, Sainte-Adèle, Québec (upcoming)
2018 – Notre point de vue n’est qu’une réalité, Gare de Piedmont, Québec
2017 – Regarde-moi, je suis là, St-Faustin Culture, Québec
2017 – Langage abstrait, St-Hippolyte Library, Québec
Jury Selected Exhibitions
2020 – Square Foot and Big Ideas Exhibition, Paula White Diamond Art Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario (upcoming) 2020 – Federation of Canadian Artists, Limitless Exhibition, Federation Gallery, Vancouver;
2020 – 4th Annual Group Summer Show, Blue Crow Art Gallery, Toronto;
2020 – Society of Canadian Artists, Annual Elected Members Exhibition;
2020 – Federation of Canadian Artists, Annual International Juried Online Exhibition;
2019 – Square Foot and Big Ideas Exhibition, Paula White Diamond Art Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
2019 – 51st Juried Exhibition, Society of Canadian Artists, Viva Vida Art Gallery, Pointe-Claire, Québec
2019 – Vancouver Salon, Elected Members of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Canadian Federation Art Gallery, Vancouver, Bristish Columbia 2019 – Small Works Exhibition, Elected Members of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Canadian Federation Art Gallery, Vancouver, Bristish Columbia
2019, 2018 – Mascouche Arts Festival, Québec
2018 – 33e Visual Arts Exhibition, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines;
2019, 2018, 2017 – Expo-auction FASS art Saint-Sauveur, Rod Art Gallery;
2018, 2017 – Expo-Concert in Mirabel;
2017 – Acquisition of permanent works for the city of Blainville, Blainville Art Gallery;
2017 – Rendez-vous Art-thé, Salle polyvalente de la gare de Piedmont.
Group Exhibitions
2018, 2019 – Annual Exhibit and Art Contest, ALPAP.
2017, 2018 – Annual Juried Exhibition, St-Faustin Culture Centre;
2017, 2018 – Accessible Art, St-Faustin Culture Centre;
2016 – 2019 – Annual Art Exhibit, Blainville-art, Blainville Art Gallery;
2016 – Exposition Un monde de couleurs, Gallery de l’Artiste in Montréal;
2016 – 5 couleurs, gare de Piedmont.
Awards
2020 – 1st Prize Best in Show, Antoinette Stevens Award by jury, Society of Canadian Artists, Elected Members
Annual Exhibition;
2020 – Featured Artist, Artsy Shark, USA
2020 – Best Emerging Abstract and Contemporary Artists of the Year, Folio Annual, USA
2020 Artist of the Year, Honorable Mention Award (668 participants), Circle Foundation for the Arts, France
2019 – Artsy Shark, Summer Showcase Artist Feature, August
2019 – Best Global Quality Abstract Art Award, Césure International Competition
2018 – The Gold Brush Award, Annual Juried Exhibition in Mirabel
2017 – 3rd Place at the Annual Exhibition at the St-Faustin Culture Centre
2016 -2nd Place at the Annual Exhibition of Blainville-Art
Memberships and Affiliations
Society of Canadian Artists, Elected member (SCA)
Federation of Canadian Artists, Active member (FCA)
Mondial Art Academia, France (MAA)
Blainville-Art, Professional Category (BVA)
Saint-Sauveur Artist Association (Saint-Sauv’Art)
Publications
The Artist’s Voice, Johanne Brouillette – Canadian Artist in Montréal, Interview with Jeff Hardesty, Salt Lake City Utah, February 2020
Folio Annual, Inaugural Edition, Best Emerging Abstract Artist of the Year, March 2020
Citiview Des Moines News, Woman Artists Dominate the Galleries, October 2019
House & Garden (UK), Art Edit, June 2019
Circle Arts Foundation for the Arts, Vol. 15, Spotlight Magazine, France, July 2019
Magazine Bonjour, Remax Laurentides – Spring/Summer 2019
Journal Le Sentier, St-Hippolyte, May 2017
Professional Development
2020 – Pouchcove Artist Residency, Newfoundland – Invitation 2019 – Painting residency, Atelier Rod, Caroline Archambault, St-Sauveur 2017 – Advanced contemporary painting courses (artistic approach) individual coaching, St-Sauveur
2017 – Contemporary art course with artist Caroline Archambault, St-Sauveur
2017 – Workshop on Black and White with artist Caroline Archambault, St-Sauveur
2017 – Workshop on Transparencies and Light with artist Caroline Archambault, St-Sauveur
2016 – Mixed media and drawing with artist Caroline Archambault, St-Sauveur
2014, 2015, 2016 – Visual expression and creativity workshops with artist Renée Noreau, St-Sauveur
2013 – Abstract expression and movements workshop with artist Riverin, Pierrefonds
2006, 2007 – Private oil painting classes with painter Raymond Roy, St-Hippolyte
2001 – Advanced acrylic courses on canvas at the Petite École, St-Sauveur 2001 – Workshops on Mixed media with Linda Lock, Vancouver
Select Corporate and Private Collections
Available upon request
