Micheline Beauchemin

"I am possessed by colour; I love the light of silk, the warmth of wool and all the voluptuous beauty of fabrics. I do not seek to represent the forest, pure joy or fear; but I want my tapestries to be the forest, pure joy or fear ."

Micheline Beauchemin, 1960

Textile artist Micheline Beauchemin is best known for her monumental tapestries and theatre curtains, as well as works of embroidery and stained glass, costumes and paintings. She has experimented with varied materials, including metallic yarns, natural and synthetic threads and glass beads.

Beauchemin studied under Alfred Pellan and Jean Benoît at Montréal’s École des Beaux-Arts, and in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts and Académie de la Grande Chaumière. She began embroidering during a stay in Greece and in 1956 held her first exhibitions of stained glass and tapestries in Paris. With further travels, she expanded her knowledge of new techniques, materials and designs.

Beauchemin’s works include Nordic Blue Ice Flow: Homage to the St. Lawrence River and The Flight of Icarus. Beauchemin has received several important honours, including the Prix Paul-Émile Borduas and the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.