Curator: Robin Metcalfe
Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery
Campy playfulness meets historic traditions in this overview of recent works by a celebrated contemporary ceramist. Léopold L. Foulem: Récupération features six series of works from the past decade, gorgeous non-functional “representations” of original Chinese, European and pre-Columbian ceramics, among others. Foulem combines decals and cheap found materials with a virtuoso technique, bridging the space between popular culture and high art in a single dazzling leap.
Léopold L. Foulem received the Jean A. Chalmers National Crafts Award in 1999 and was the first Atlantic recipient of the Saidye Bronfman Award, in 2001. In 2003, he received the prestigious Acadian cultural award, the prix Éloizes. Among the first Canadian ceramists to have his work collected by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England, he is also among the first living ceramists to be collected by the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art. He divides his time between his hometown of Caraquet on New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula, a teaching practice in Montréal and a busy international exhibition schedule.
Teaching for many years in Montréal, at the CÉGEP du Vieux-Montréal and the CÉGEP de Saint-Laurent, Foulem single-handedly founded a distinct Canadian “school” of contemporary ceramics, often exploring themes of gay sexuality and identity. His mentorship, of the late Jeannot Blackburn, of Paul Mathieu (a Professor of ceramics at Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design in Vancouver and himself a recipient of the 2000 Chalmers Award) and of Montréal artist Richard Milette, has created a legacy beyond his own substantial body of work.
A bilingual catalogue accompanies this nationally touring exhibition, which is organised and circulated by Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery, supported by a generous grant from the Culture Division, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture and Heritage and funding from the Canada Council for the Arts.