Manuel Mathieu's Mournful Abstractions
At the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the artist moves between colourful figuration and abstraction to capture the experiences of trauma, loss and hope
The compelling array of recent works by Haitian-born artist Manuel Mathieu, currently on show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, demonstrates just how much is still possible in painting at a time when the wider culture seems to be in the grip of pervasive, paralytic darkness. Mathieu’s first solo museum show in North America, ‘Survivance’ (Survival),
brings together 20 paintings and a newly commissioned, site-specific installation. Mathieu, who won Canada’s prestigious Sobey Art Award in 2020, is a maverick and empath whose work feeds deeply on his own lived experiences, including two serious traffic accidents he suffered in London and Montreal, which prompted him to reflect on and develop his artistic vision.