Hélène Lachapelle's exhibitions

An imprint of nature, a space of memory and sensations, a quest for dialogue between the environment and the human soul.

My paintings, inspired by Quebec landscapes and personal memories, invite immersion into worlds filled with serenity and movement.

My work is part of a quest for connection between the visible and the invisible, the tangible and the immaterial, the timeless and the ephemeral.

I seek to weave a bridge between dreams and reality… and a bridge between you and me, beyond the visual, to touch your soul.Thus, my abstract and semi-abstract artworks invite you to dream and transcend through the discovery of my worlds. It is with joy that I share them with you, so that you too may dive into your own imagination and perhaps recognize each other somewhere in this vast infinite field where separation does not exist.

My approach is simple:

:I find stillness, I create silence, and I stand at the gates of the invisible to journey into inner worlds that seek to be incarnated here with us, bringing a new—or forgotten—essence.

I paint step by step along the unknown path I walk, revealed to me when I manage to silence the narrative in my mind and surrender to something greater than myself.

I paint the density of knots that twist me and suddenly unravel to release the fluidity of a newborn movement.

I paint torn fabrics and luminous obelisks that mark my path.

I paint the birds that make the world beautiful and speak to us of freedom and unity.

I paint to transcend what incessantly occupies our minds and to reveal the often-hidden dimension of our deeper nature.

Mark Twain said that most people die at 25 but aren’t buried until 75, that we don’t die the day our heart stops beating but rather the day we stop dreaming.​

I paint in the movement inspired by the wind, the water, the butterfly, and especially the bird as it takes flight, dances, lands, crosses, and transcends borders, inviting us to embrace the sky and anchor it within our earth.

And it might very well be this same movement, I would say, that finds its way into me when I manage to enter a "no expectations" mode, to quiet my mind, to be in "loussitude" (loosening up); this movement that allows me, little by little, to touch my joy of being and creating.

These paintings represent small steps toward my spontaneity, my true identity, what I often call "my missing piece"; not because I have reached the destination or found the answer or the method, but rather because I value the dialogue, the "not knowing," the doubt, the unpredictable. I value the search... and the surprise it brings.

Yes, I am fortunate to have a talent, and also fortunate to have the courage and perseverance to continually accept the lessons until they become part of me. For if intuition exists, it finds us at work, and it is by relinquishing control that we discover joy.

"There is a place within our bodies

That no longer reflects

An Intelligence

That has not forgotten the Creator’s language

Authentic because it springs forth from your gesture, your word."

— The Lord of the Dance, Danis Bois

From a very young age, as the second child in a family of eight, I loved to draw and later often sought refuge in my inner world. There, I found a sense of tranquility, a beneficial silence. My love for art and my thirst for creativity have always been a great source of renewal and personal growth.

Today, I better understand that I will always be in search of what wants to express itself within me. As René Char said: "The impossible, we do not achieve it, but it serves as our lantern."

The lessons I took with Francine Labelle and Jeannine Teebhoo, and particularly the years I spent with Caroline Archambault, a painter from Saint-Sauveur, taught me to paint by surrendering to my imagination, seeking movement, free gestures, and an open-ended mode of creating, which I like to call "loussitude" (loosening up). This approach has led me increasingly toward openness and a connection to something greater than myself. I walk into the unknown along the thread of my imagination, often blindly, relying on my spontaneity and, of course, my fears and blocks, while attempting to let the invisible and the sense of unity speak.

Over the years of learning, I have explored various techniques (drawing, oil painting, watercolor, acrylic, ink, mixed media), and what draws me most is not knowing in advance what will emerge—though I might start with an idea, a feeling, or even a sketch. I enjoy engaging in a dialogue with the canvas, allowing myself to be surprised by the presence within me and by the response of the materials I use. The images born of these dialogues often evoke the elements and organic worlds. I play with spaces, fullness and emptiness, contrasts of colors and textures, light and transparency—everything that brings forth the intimate and unexpected intention of the artist within me when she manages to quiet her mind and let the essence flow.

I continue on this path, hoping that my paintings convey an authentic expression, one that transports the viewer to a larger, even infinite world, allowing access to their own imagination or presence.

I conclude with these words:"We would gladly wish for the artist, however great, to never cease being an amateur throughout their career, if we give the word its full meaning: one who loves, who dedicates themselves to their art not out of ambition, vanity, or greed, but purely out of love; who, subordinating their entire being to this pure passion, makes a vow of humility, patience, and courage." — Jacques Copeau, Appels, p. 145–146

4o

First of all, a big thank you to the city of Saint-Hippolyte, beautiful and natural, to Mr. Bruno Laroche, Mayor, to the Cultural Services department, Ms. Patricia Lopraino, its director, and to Gilles here at the library for this wonderful opportunity to exhibit my paintings.

This exhibition is a retrospective of my work from the past five years, during which I have sought above all to explore movement, free gestures, and a "no expectations" approach—what I call "loussitude." This term is borrowed from an artist I have learned a great deal from, Caroline Archambault of Saint-Sauveur. As the painter Pierre Soulages once said, “One paints first out of a personal, intimate necessity that makes life possible.” Well, I had a deep need for this "loussitude."

My joy is that I am now reaching this state more and more. All these paintings represent small steps, in a way, toward my spontaneity and identity—not that I have arrived, found the answer, or discovered the method, but rather that I value the dialogue, the "not knowing," the doubt. I value being in the unpredictable, in the search.

And tonight, I have the privilege of seeing how you receive these works and how they open you to new inner horizons.

This exhibition is a retrospective of my paintings from recent years, during which I have painted with a focus on movement, free gestures, and an open-ended approach.

This form of "loussitude" (loosening up) has increasingly led me to openness and receptiveness to something greater than myself. I walk into the unknown along the thread of my imagination, like a tightrope walker, often blindly, relying on my spontaneity and, of course, my fears. I enjoy engaging in a dialogue with the canvas, allowing myself to be surprised by the presence within me and the response of the materials I use. The images born of these dialogues often speak of the elements and organic worlds.

You may see in these works the silence and stillness that initially existed on the blank canvas, followed by the movement—sometimes small, sometimes broad, and occasionally wild—that took hold, bringing chaos and then mystery, spaces of fullness and emptiness, contrasts of colors, shapes, and textures, as well as light and transparency. Ultimately, these lead to the presence of the artist's intimate and unexpected intention when she succeeds in silencing her mind and allowing the essence to emerge.

I now feel I have reached a more authentic and effortless expression, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my joy with you.

I hope these paintings transport you to a much larger, even infinite world, leaving room for your own imagination to take flight.