Rémi Clark was born in Quebec City in 1944. Strongly inspired by the Quebec landscapes, in particular those of his native city and the Charlevoix region, he paints subjects dedicated to the happiness of family life, scenes of everyday life where balance is the greatest value. All in simplicity and colour, his work celebrates the small and great joys of life.
Rémi Clark - The charm of la dolce vita
Date and place of birth
Rémi Clark was born in 1944, in Quebec City.
Background and career
Rémi Clark first studied applied science at the Institut de technologie, where he learned about casting and pattern making. He gained a solid knowledge of design and geometry, which explains the surprising quality of his lines. He then studied drawing and painting with famous artists. He has been painting since 1970.
After completing his studies, Rémi Clark began a career with major communications companies. He was hired by Bell Canada as a technical assistant in network design. Clark is the consummate perfectionist: for a full decade, he painted and sketched without ever exhibiting his work. In 1981, he decided to paint full time. His career truly began when he entered the symposium in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1982. In 1986, a grant from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs freed him to embark on a study tour of France. In 1991, he won first prize at an international competition in Haute-Savoie, where he represented Canada.
His work and art
Deeply inspired by the Charlevoix region, a magnificient county so well known to the artist, who lived there for more than 20 wonderful years, Rémi Clark draws on a wide range of subjects dedicated to the joys of family life, to paint scenes of daily life in which balance is the central value. This simplicity, which approaches a quiet formality, is even reflected in the light of his canvases. His paintings create a feeling of vacation, time to lie in the grass, stroll along the shore, do nothing but revel in life. Even the singing rain driving his cyclists home is an excuse for unrestrained laughter.
Rémi Clark’s paintings are often justly perceived as miniature plays. They accurately mirror life on a beautiful day, with real people, simple yet complete, marked by the typicality of Charlevoix so specific to this artist. His picnickers, flower gatherers, lovers, his gardener and his shepherd tell us their story, which the painter narrates with feeling and discrimination. The constant quest for a story to tell allows Rémi Clark to repeat the process for each place where the lives of inhabitants continue to breathe, whether in Old Quebec, Charlevoix or, in recent years, Provence and Italy. His fertile imagination is a source of constant renewal in his work.
For Rémi Clark, the mischievous side of life so jealously guarded by mankind has allowed this artist to forge a successful blend of technique and feeling. Rémi’s paintings have their own characteristic personality, with a lucid and candid style.
Rémi Clark is represented by the Au P'tit Bonheur Art Gallery since 1986, exclusively since 2000.
