User:HeatherBlack/D Besner

Dominic Besner
Dominic Besner (1965) or Besner is a Canadian artist known for colourful and textured paintings of masked figures. His work was featured at the Canadian pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, and Besner has exhibited throughout Canada, in United States, Mexico and Morocco.

Early life
Besner was born and raised in the farming community of North Lancaster, Ontario. While studying architecture at Algonquin College in Ottawa, and at the University of Montreal, he developed a passion for drawing. Graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1992, Besner worked at several Montreal architectural firms before turning to art full time. His first solo exhibit was held at Naomi Gallery (Montreal) in 1995.

Career
Fascinated by Montreal nightlife, Besner painted street performers and actors. By 1996, white-faced figures painted in rich, textured costumes emerged as his signature subject. Likened to figures by Edvard Munch and Gustav Klimt, these “death-masked” characters simultaneously emerge from and fade into the background.

Besner’s unique style has been credited to his architectural training and, in particular, to urban architect Aldo Rossi’s merger of interior and exterior space. Using acrylics, oils, and oil pastels, Besner energizes aristocrats, horses, bulls, or cityscapes with overlapping lines, patterns and planes. Parcours editor Robert Bernier notes Besner’s ”tremendous capacity to renew contemporary artistic expression while remaining deeply embedded in artistic transition ...”.

Mensi & Rioux
In 1996 Besner met Michael Mensi of the art-management agency Mensi & Rioux. Under his direction, Besner exhibited at Galerie MX (Montreal), throughout Canada and internationally in Morocco and China. Mensi & Roux has also published several books on the artist: Dominic Besner (1993-2000) for exhibitions at Iris Gallery (Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec) and Saint-Dizier Gallery (Montreal), Dominic Besner (2000-2004) for the CDP Capital Centre (Montreal) and, in 2010, Hundred words for China for exhibitions at Galerie MX and Can Art gallery (Beijing, China).

2000-2004
In November 2003, Besner participated in the group exhibition ”Voilà Québec en México!” at the University of Guadalajara (Mexico). Invited by Cirque du Soleil in 2004 to exhibit at their headquarters, Besner created 20 large-format (48 x 30) paintings and three scale models for the exposition “La Xe cité révolue”.

In November 2004, “La démesure des convoités”, opened at the CDP Capital Centre (Montreal). Curated by Christian Verronneau, the opening was attended by over 2,000 guests.

2005-2009
In 2006, Besner painted the fresco La mécanique des Villes at the Montreal headquarters of the Cirque du Soleil. The making of the mural was also the subject of the 2008 documentary by Pierre Bundock and François Arsenault.

In January 2007, Besner exhibited at the museum, La Villa des Arts, in Casablanca, Morocco. Inspired by the colours and scents of Morocco, he then painted the series “Le Banquet de Nacarat” for an October exhibition at the Venise Cadre gallery (Casablanca), This show inspired Moroccan designers, Karim Tassi, Albert Oiknine and Mohamed Lakhdar, to create caftans based on Besner’s Art. First exhibited in Casablanca and then Rabat, the fashion show developed into a traveling exhibit, “Au Fil du Art”. First exhibited in Canada at Galerie MX (Montreal), in 2008, it opened in Toronto and in Calgary at the Thompson Landry Gallery.

2010 -
In May, Besner exhibited two works at the Canadian pavilion during Shanghai World Expo 2010 (China). In September, he participated at the Western China International Art Biennale, and in a group show at Saatchi Gallery (London) in October. This was followed by the solo exhibitions “Hundred Words Made for China” at Galerie MX (Montreal) and, in November, “Hundred words for China” at Can Art gallery (Beijing).

In November 2011, Mensi & Rioux produced “MORA”, an interactive presentation of Besner’s first novella and art. Conceived by former Cirque du Soleil art director, Guy Caron, the event was directed by Danielle de Bellefeuille assisted by College LaSalle students. Over 1,000 guests attended the event at the Côte-des-Neiges Armoury (Montreal).

In June 2012, Dominic Besner exhibited three works painted in Morocco at the First Biennale Internationale Casablanca. In April 2013, Besner’s paintings of the legendary Mortalia, Empress of Gaur, opened at Galerie MX (Montreal). Entitled “Immortalis”, the show previewed Besner’s upcoming China exhibitions at the Suzhou Museum, the Qi Baishi Memorial Museum (Beijing), and Can Art gallery (Beijing).

Select exhibitions
etc
 * April 2013 “Immortalis” Galerie MX, Montreal, Canada
 * December 2012 “The Light Side of The Moon”, Las Olas Fine Arts Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
 * September 2012 Iris Gallery, Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada
 * June 2012 First Biennale Internationale Casablanca, Morroco