Canada History Week 2022

VISUAL ARTS

As leader of Les Automatistes, PAUL-ÉMILE BORDUAS had a profound influence on the development of the arts and on thought, both in the province of Quebec and across Canada. Refus global , a collectively published manifesto with Borduas as principal author, challenged traditional values in Quebec. The manifesto was harshly criticized by the press and the government, causing him to be removed from his post at the École du Meuble. Though he was essentially exiled from Canada after the manifesto’s publication, Borduas remains one of the most important painters in contemporary Canadian art.

Paul-Émile Borduas (Library and Archives Canada/Ronny Jaques).

Nova Scotia’s MAUD LEWIS transformed the mundane into the magical with her unique artistic vision. Maud wasn’t taken seriously as an artist during her lifetime, although a few people in the art world recognized her talent. In 1965, she was featured in a CBC documentary, leading to a flood of requests for her work during the last years of her life. She became much more famous after she died in 1970, with her talent as an artist eventually recognized more widely.

GUSTAVO URIEL DA ROZA II was an architect of Chinese and Portuguese descent who moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1960. He is most recognized for his design of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, as well as his design of the Chatelaine Expo Home, which was exhibited at Expo 67. Modernism was widely practiced in Canada during the 1960s and 1970s, and da Roza’s practice contributed significantly to Winnipeg’s architectural style. In 2003, he served as a member of the panel for the architectural design of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Winnipeg (wwphoto/Dreamstime.com).

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Art with Heart: Maud Lewis (Hannah Teakle).