Yann Lemieux
Interview et photographie / Catherine Bernier
Yann Lemieux’s practice is grounded in the discipline of showing up — returning to the studio, to the gesture, and to the act of painting as a way of maintaining both clarity and momentum. His residency in Seaforth, emerged from a need to momentarily step outside his daily rhythm and reconnect with that essential space of creation. On the Nova Scotian coast, time stretched differently: slower mornings, long drives along the shoreline, and a growing attentiveness to what unfolds when nothing is imposed.
Known for a practice rooted in physical engagement and sustained intensity, Lemieux allowed the landscape, solitude, and distance to subtly shift his bearings. What unfolded was not a rupture, but a quiet expansion — one that both deepened and reaffirmed the foundations of his work.
In this conversation, he reflects on gesture, grounding, and what it means to step outside the studio in order to reconnect with what matters most.
Tell us about you and your practice.
Painting remains my primary medium. My practice unfolds across canvases, walls, and objects, and is defined by a search for intensity and excess — large formats, strong contrasts, and compositions charged with tension, energy, and power.
A constant need for personal emancipation runs through my work. More than intention or subject matter, it is the act of creating itself that occupies a central place. It is through the gesture — through doing — that I approach these questions. In my practice, making comes before discourse.
How does your cultural background or personal story shape your practice?
My practice is shaped first and foremost by my personal journey and my relationship to gesture. Growing up in Quebec, I evolved in a context where identity is built through action — through work, discipline, and experimentation. This dynamic directly influences the way I paint.
I approach portraiture as a territory for formal exploration rather than psychological representation. Figures allow me to explore material, movement, and the energy of the line. Layering, contrast, and rapid execution are central to my process.
My story is not a subject in itself, but a foundation. It informs my relationship to the body, rhythm, and presence — both in the studio and in performance. My work develops through construction, intensity, and mastery of gesture.
Quelles étaient vos intentions pour cette résidence et comment s'est-elle déroulée ?
My intention was to reconnect with my personal practice. For several years, I’ve devoted much of my time to cultural mediation, working with marginalized youth and individuals living with disabilities. Using creative gesture as a tool for engagement gives profound meaning to my work.
However, opportunities for personal creation tend to fade within that rhythm. I saw this residency as a chance to disconnect from external demands and return to my own need to create — to exist fully within the act of painting.
I also wanted to leave my studio and my city, to draw inspiration from a completely different environment.
Can you describe a typical day during your residency?
My schedule consisted precisely of not having one. I followed intuition, alternating between exploration and creation. I spent time walking along the shore, visiting thrift shops, driving coastal roads, and photographing everything that caught my attention.
During the first days, I barely painted. I allowed ideas to surface naturally, without pressure. Then, in the final days, something shifted. I stopped exploring and devoted myself entirely to painting — from morning until night.
How has the landscape or atmosphere of Seaforth influenced your creative process?
The environment had a profound impact. For the first time, landscape became central within my work. It was no longer simply a reference, but a presence within the paintings themselves.
The quiet rhythm of Seaforth created space — space to observe, to absorb, and ultimately, to transform what I saw into something that belonged fully to my visual language.
Is there a medium or technique you experimented with that you hadn’t tried before?
I remained faithful to painting, but the subject itself — landscape — became the site of experimentation.
At first, I tried to represent what I saw faithfully, but I didn’t recognize myself in those images. The turning point came when I allowed myself to transform the landscape — to intensify it, distort it, and introduce unexpected elements. The boundary between the real and the imaginary began to dissolve. That is when something new emerged.
“For the first time, landscape became central within my work. It was no longer simply a reference, but a presence within the paintings themselves.”
- Yann
What has challenged you most during this residency?
The greatest challenge was balancing openness with the strength of my existing language. I wanted to take risks, to move toward the unknown. But I realized how deeply anchored I already was in my practice.
This realization was both reassuring and confronting. It confirmed the coherence of my work, while also challenging me to break habits and allow myself greater freedom.
How do you see art as a bridge between people, cultures, or generations?
We often say an image is worth a thousand words, but it is also worth a thousand emotions. Art creates immediate connections beyond language, age, or cultural boundaries.
Through cultural mediation, I witness how creating together builds bridges. Regardless of the outcome, the act itself creates shared meaning and lasting connections.
Have you found inspiration in conversations or encounters with locals?
Yes, very much. My slow pace and constant photographing often intrigued people. Once they understood why I was there, conversations became warm and generous.
These encounters led me to discover hidden places I would not have found otherwise. They became part of the residency and part of the work itself.
Cette résidence a-t-elle changé quelque chose dans la façon dont vous envisagez votre propre pratique ou vos projets futurs ?
Absolutely. This residency reignited my desire to step outside my routine and seek new creative contexts. It was my first residency in over ten years, and it marked a turning point.
Shortly after returning, I began organizing another residency with fellow artists. It reaffirmed how essential these spaces are for growth and renewal.
What’s a small, personal memory from your time here that you’ll bring back home with you?
The feeling of true solitude. Being in a small haven, far from people, far from noise. That distance created a rare sense of clarity.
What role do you think residencies like The Parcelles play in supporting artists today?
They offer something essential: space. Physical space, mental space, and freedom. Space without expectation, without pressure to produce or perform.
For me, this made all the difference. There was only time, gesture, and the act of creating.
Yann Lemieux’s residency at The Parcelles was not defined by rupture, but by reconnection — to gesture, to presence, and to the quiet necessity of painting. Removed from external demands, he allowed himself to slow down, observe, and re-enter his practice from a place of clarity.
What emerged was not only new work, but a renewed relationship to creation itself — one grounded in discipline, openness, and the enduring power of the painted gesture.
Follow Yann Lemieux / @yann.l.art
Portraits par Catherine Bernier / @cath.be
