Born in 1978 in the Gaspésie region of the province of Quebec, Chantal Bourque has been fascinated by the emotional power of images since childhood. Through the combination of touches of color, she envisioned the infinite possibilities of conjuring up emotions, evoking feelings and making people dream. She began painting at the age of 12 and continued her artistic career with a diploma of collegiate studies (DEC) in visual arts, a bachelor’s degree in graphic communications and an attestation of collegiate studies (AEC) in multimedia programming.

 

Chantal then moved to Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, to work as a graphic designer. Following the birth of the first of her four children, she decided to prioritize family life for a certain period of time. It was when she swapped the computer for paintbrushes that she returned to painting, desiring a medium that offered her fluidity of movement and tangible contact with the material, but above all total freedom of expression and creation.

 

Trees, now her preferred subject, naturally became part of her world. Having grown up in the countryside, forest landscapes are an integral part of her childhood memories. For Chantal, the forest has always been synonymous with well-being, a state of mind she also shares with her father. Working as a forestry technician, her father passed on his love of the forest to her, but above all taught her to respect it. Chantal went on to deepen her knowledge and interest in trees with a number of books, including those by forestry engineer Peter Wohlleben. Following these readings, it was in 2017 that trees became the central element of her creations.  It is with great humility that Chantal pays tribute to them, still fascinated to this day by the infinite creative power of juxtaposing touches of color.