Painter and Draftsman Pioneer of Abstract Art and an Essential Figure of Artistic Modernity in Quebec.

At the School of Borduas and Pellan

Born in Montreal in 1922, André Jasmin obtained a Bachelor’s degree in the arts from the Université de Montréal in 1942. That same year, he began a two-year internship at the École du Meuble, where he met Professor Paul-Émile Borduas and created his first works. This encounter profoundly influenced the way he thought and created, and left a lasting mark on his journey, both personal and professional.

At the same time, André Jasmin also attended Alfred Pellan’s studio, another major figure in Quebec painting. In 1943, he took part in the Sagittaires exhibition, organized by art critic Maurice Gagnon, a landmark event that brought together a new generation of artists and helped foster the emergence of modern painting in Quebec.

Total Creative Freedom

Very early on, André Jasmin chose to follow his own path. Refusing labels and allegiances to schools of thought, he developed a personal approach, shaped by his readings, his reflections, and a deep passion for painting.

In 1948, as tensions between Borduas and Pellan divided the artistic community, he chose not to take sides. He signed neither the Refus global manifesto published by the Automatistes group, nor the Prisme d’yeux call supported by some fifteen artists gathered around Pellan.

His exploration also extended far beyond painting. Between 1945 and 1950, he created sets and costumes for the theatre, notably for the Compagnons de Saint-Laurent, the Compagnie des Masques, and the Ballets Ruth Sorel. He developed a passion for serigraphy, but above all it was charcoal drawing that became the core of his art, in constant dialogue with a painting practice in perpetual evolution.

Abstraction as a Means of Expression

Influenced by the masters of Cubism, Georges Braque and Georges Rouault, André Jasmin quickly moved away from figurative painting to develop an increasingly refined lyrical abstraction. His works of the 1950s and 1960s continually explored new forms, techniques, and materials, playing with lines, curves, and colors.

His creativity was overflowing, and his work was quickly recognized. As early as 1947, he exhibited at the Agnès Lefort and Denise Delrue galleries, at Galerie Libre de Montréal, and at Collector’s Gallery de New York, a sign of growing interest from both the public and the art world. In 1955, he received the prestigious Prix peinture du Concours du Québec.

Sharing and Transmission

Beyond his artistic practice, André Jasmin devoted himself deeply to passing on knowledge. Starting in 1950, he began teaching in his studio, before becoming, in 1958, a professor of painting, drawing, and art history at the École des Beaux Arts de Montréal, thus beginning a long career as a teacher and critic.

For him, teaching was above all a space for exchange, where one learns as much as one transmits. He also held important positions, notably as director of the visual arts department, then vice-dean of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), to which the École des Beaux Arts was integrated between 1969 and 1988.

André Jasmin also helped make art accessible to a wider audience. In the 1960s, he regularly took part in Radio-Canada broadcasts. As writer and host, he led a series of 11 programs on the history of sculpture and produced special broadcasts devoted to artists such as Van Gogh, Borduas, and Pellan. In 1966, he gave a series of lectures on the great masters of art history (Cézanne, Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Chagall, Bonnard, Pellan, Borduas, etc.) at the National Gallery of Canada.

A Living Artwork

At the beginning of the 1970s, André Jasmin entered a new phase of his work. During this vibrant period, his style evolved significantly. He returned to drawing from live models and renewed his approach to form. Under the influence of the French painter Pierre Bonnard, he explored new relationships to color in triangular or curved compositions, always animated by a singular movement and energy. Until the end of his life, he continued his work with the same energy, driven by a constant desire to explore.

André Jasmin passed away in Montreal in 2020, after more than 70 years of creation. His work, generous and timeless, reflects a deep commitment to art and sharing. It is now preserved in several prestigious institutions, including the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, the Musée national des Beaux Arts du Québec, the Musée d’Art de Joliette, the Musée de London, and the Musée des Beaux Arts du Canada, as well as in many private collections.