Francois Chartier
2370 Nicolet
Montreal Quebec
H1W3L4
Canada
1.514.525.8895
francois@mlink.net
www.francoisc.com
One of Chartier’s most striking subjects is that of childhood memorabilia crowded together and
painted larger-than-life in his unique airbrush technique. Looking at his paintings can be a
nostalgic joy as familiar characters from Batman to Corky are half-hidden among the colourful
chaos. Yet it is not just that his work sparkle with a certain humour, because they are also bathed
in a magical light. From coloured glass and marbles, to glossy metals and plastics, the paintings
echo Chartier’s journey to understand such reflective and transparent surfaces, and to convey his
sense of wonder and intrigue over them.
BORN: 1950
RESIDES: Montreal, Canada
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE :
1970 – 1980 : Art Direction / Illustration ( Montreal)
1980 – 1990 : Francois Chartier Illustration inc. ( Toronto / Montreal )
1990 – 1998 : Francois Chartier Illustration inc. Digital Illustrtion ( Toronto / Montreal )
1999 : Quit advertising to paint full time.
Major work : producing the concept and visual features of the Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show :
‘Quidam’, ‘Mystere’ and ‘O’
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011- ‘Paper Beauty’, Royal Gallery (Providence, Rhode Island, USA)
2008- ‘Water World’, Whitfield gallery (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico)
2007 -‘Pop Culture Icons : Paintings By Francois Chartier’, Whitfield Gallery (San Miguel de
Allende, Mexico)
2006 -‘Simply Flowers : Recent paintings by Francois Chartier’, Patou Fine Arts (Miami, USA)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2012 -‘Group Show’, Plus One Gallery (London)
2012 –‘In Bloom’, Royal Gallery (Providence, Rhode Island, USA)
2012- ‘Group Show’, Gallerie Richelieu (Montréal (Québec) Canada)
2011 -‘Wet Paint’, Gallerie Richelieu (Montréal (Québec) Canada)
2011- ‘Mosaic’, Royal Gallery (Providence, Rhode Island, USA)
2011- ‘Group Show’, Die Hamburger Galerie (Hamburg, Germany)
2010 - ‘Algo mas que realismo V’, Artelibre (Zaragoza, Spain)
2010- ‘Couleurs d’images en six visions’, Gallerie Richelieu (Montréal (Québec) Canada)
2010- ‘Contemporary Masters : A Collection’, Royal Gallery (Providence, Rhode Island, USA)
2010- ‘Pop Culture Icons’, Die Hamburger Galerie (Hamburg, Germany)
2009 -‘Park art fare international’, Parking de Villereuse Geneva (Switzerland)
2009- ‘L’art passe a l’est’, Maison de la Culture Maisonneuve (Montreal, Canada)
2009- ‘International Realities Exhibition’, Whitfield Gallery (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico)
2008 - ‘15th Annual Realism Invitational 2008’, Klaudia Marr Gallery (Santa Fe, USA)
2008- ‘Group Show’, Whitfield Gallery (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico)
2007 - ‘Group Show’, Maison de la Culture Mercier (Montreal, Canada)
2007- ‘Group Show’, Whitfield Gallery (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico)
2006- ‘Group Show’, Patou Fine Arts (Miami, USA)
2006- ‘Group Show’, Whitfield Gallery (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico)
2005- ‘Group Show’, Gallerie Yves Laroche (Montreal, Canada)
2005 -Langage Plastique : Gallerie Art Mur (Montreal, Canada)
2005- ‘Group Show’, Patou Fine Arts (Miami, USA)
2004- ‘Group Show’, Gallerie Art Mur (Montreal, Canada)
2004- ‘Group Show’, Las Olas Fine Arts (Fort Lauderdale, USA)
2003- ‘Group Show’, Gallerie Saint-Dizier (Montreal, Canada)
2003- ‘Francois Chartier and Dominique Besner’, Las Olas Fine Arts (Fort Lauderdale, USA)
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
• Groupe Option Retraite – Montréal (Québec), Canada
• Goodwood Securities inc. Collection – Toronto (Ontario), Canada
• Benson Ranch inc. Collection – Calgary (Alberta), Canada
• Pat Lazor Design, Collection – Scottsdale (Arizona), États-Unis
• Beecher Securities, Collection – Houston (Texas), Etats-Unis
• Magnatrade, Collection – Santiago, Chile
• CareVest Capital Inc. – Calgary (Alberta), Canada
And various private collections in Canada, United States, Mexico, Russia and Europe
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2010- ‘The Artist’s Magazine’, USA (December)
2010- ‘American Art Collector, USA (No. 62, December)
2010- ‘Artelibre’, Arte y Libertad V, Madrid, SPAIN
2010- ‘Brushstroke Magazine’, Canada (No. 21, September/ October)
2010- ‘Pratique des Art’, France (No. 93, August)
2010- ‘Studio Visit’, USA (August)
2009- ‘Artelibre’, Arte y Libertad IV, Madrid, SPAIN
2009- ‘Poets and Artist’, The rebirth of realism Issue, O&S, USA (Vol. 2, No. 8, December)
2009- ‘Southwest Art Magazine’- Second Place Award, USA (November)
2009- ‘Poets and Artist’, Self- Portrait Issue, O&S, USA (Vol. 2, No. 6, September)
2007- ‘Peinture et photographie’, Jean luc Chalumeau, Chesne editor, Paris
2005- ‘La Presse’, Langage Plastiique, Montreal (No. 152, March)
2005- ‘ICI’, Plasticien Unis, Montreal (Vol. 8, No. 23, March)
2005- ‘Mirror’, Fur, Plastic, Water and Wheel, Montreal (Vol. 20, No. 30, January)
2003- ‘Gallery Guide USA’, Francois Chartier and Dominique Besner, at Las Olas Fine Arts
(November)
MEMBER OF
• RAAV (Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels du Québec)
• IGOR (International Guild Of Realism)
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
“After evolving in the advertising world for over 25 years as an art director and an illustrator I
felt the need to pursue in greater depth my own artistic journey. Painting was the only logical
direction I could take as my experience, personal taste, longings and training, had prepared me
for this path.
“Since realism has always been of tremendous interest to me it was natural that this was the
direction my art should take. Although my paintings are realistic my goal is to create, through the
layering of mediums and the play of the brush, the illusion of depth and sense of presence beyond
what is found in photographs.”
Plus One Gallery . 89-91 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8PH . Tel: 020 7730 7656
Email: info@plusonegallery.com . www.plusonegallery.com