Marie Cliche

From words to color

With a degree in architecture from the Université de Montréal, I first practiced architecture for a few years before becoming an "architect of the imaginary".

My imagination is first expressed through words that carry images. I've dabbled in screenwriting, for which I won first prize at the Festival du Cinéma Francophone in Paris, and then made a film about art, De l'ocre à l'azur, which was a finalist at the Hot Docs International Festival in Toronto. I've also published a number of novels for children's literature, followed by a number for the general public.

My interest in visual art developed most intensely when I took part in a painting workshop whose approach was inspired by the school of Frère Jérôme. It favored a gestural mode based on spontaneity and abandonment to what needs to emerge. This mode of expression, based on total freedom, immediately appealed to me. Since then, my work has evolved in an abstract, contemporary style, represented today by the michel guimont.com and l'harmattan.com galleries.

Whereas writing a novel requires the elaboration of a universe over a long period of time, painting, in the gestural mode, expresses itself spontaneously. While these two approaches may seem contradictory, in fact they are mutually enriching in the very exercise of creation: writing encourages the development of content in the spontaneity of the pictorial gesture, while painting encourages the author to aim for the essential.

**Automatically translated from the original text.**