Cynthia Coulombe-Bégin
brings a sensitivity to her work that stems from her exploration of identity in
performance art. Her work draws us into her internal world: exploring the soul
and matter, conscience, and the universe.
Coulombe-Bégin’s textural
paintings often focus on large close-up portrayals of the mouth and eyes, which
are depicted with great contrasts of color and chiaroscuro. She directs her
attention to an abstract universe full of movement, symbolism, and eroticism.
Born in Miami, Coulombe-Bégin
grew up in Quebec City where she earned a Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2006 from
Laval University. She also trained as a dancer and has participated in numerous
performances throughout Quebec. Starting very young, her parents focused a
great deal on both the arts and athletics which helped her develop her own mode
of expression.
“I am
particularly interested in the fragmented corporal shell, which I emphasize through
spontaneous movement and vivid colors,” stated Coulombe-Bégin. “My experience
with painting has led me to see things differently, to self-discovery, and to
great astonishment. A movement begins to take shape, from the outside in,
resembling a quest for invisible energy and the total union between body and
mind. The notion of performance, the search for identity, and the exposure of
the body to an explosive universe are indicative of my desire to cast light on
all the beauty and vulnerability of our existence in a single image.”
Coulombe-Bégin
began her professional artistic career at the Marius Barbeau Museum with her
first solo exhibition, Traces Corporelles, in 2006. She has continued to exhibit
in galleries and art fairs in Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and
Quebec. Coulombe-Bégin’s works have been acquired by numerous private collectors
in Canada, the United States, Europe, Brazil and Australia.
