Memories

Portrait of Bernard Cathelin : Bernard Cathelin

Duration: 26 November 2008 – 31 January 2009

A Glimpse into the Life of Bernard Cathelin, as seen through his paintings, lithographs, and tapestries. This exhibition celebrates the thirty-year friendship of Vancouver collectors and Buschlen Mowatt Galleries enjoyed with this French modern master, who passed away in 2004.A contemporary of Matisse, Chagall and Picasso, Cathelin distinguished himself among his peers in a generation where painting became less an art form and more a process. Bernard Cathelin is a contemporary artist whose work is known internationally and he has been featured in over 50 exhibitions worldwide. Cathelin was a member of the School of Paris, which included such luminaries as Matisse, De Buffet, Maurice Brianchon and Andre Brasilier. Amongst the important and prestigious shows have been Fondation Gianadda à Martigny (Switzerland) in 1985, Château de Chenonceau (France) in 1987, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (France) in 1992, Daimaru Museum Tokyo (Japan) in 1994, Château de Bagatelle (France) in 1995, Musée de la Seita (France) in 1996, Rétrospective au Musée de Valence (France) in 1997, and Rétrospective au Musée de Shangaï (China) in 2000. Cathelin’s painterly sensibilities distinguished him among his peers in a generation where painting became less an art than a process. His international appeal is in part due to the energy and vitality seen throughout his work. Cathelin’s work is recognized for its strength, simplicity and sincerity, and is characterized by purity and potency. Icon-like in form, it possesses a subtle richness which is conveyed through texture and colour. Cathelin’s canvases present a radiant synthesis of life and art. It is the passionate sensibility of the artist that emerges from the canvas to capture the viewer’s attention, resulting in dynamic images, where landscapes are not stationary and models are not still. He has exhibited extensively worldwide and has an extensive following in France, USA, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and England. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Blumenthal Prize (1950), the Emily Loewe Prize (1953) and the Othon Friesz Prize (1958).