Maryse Chartrand
It took a while for glass to find Canadian artist Maryse Chartrand with a long detour through a 25-year career in communications in advertising and documentary film. Then, in 2004, during an introductory course in glass blowing, she began to embrace the idea of becoming a glass artist. In 2010, she took a leap of faith, returning to the classroom, or rather the atelier, for a full-time three-year glass art program. In the spring of 2013, she graduated from the Centre des métiers du verre du Québec. Since graduation, she has been a full-time glass artist. Recognition came rapidly for emerging artist Maryse Chartrand. She has pieces in private collections internationally and in the Quebec National Museum of Fine Arts.
"The deeper I dive into the art of glass, the more I’m fascinated with the material’s beauty. Glass is solid but fragile, dense but fluid. It hovers between the concrete world and the world of light. Although my process is sparked by an idea, it is the anticipation of a discovery that really drives me. I want glass to show me the way. And the more it does, the more I find that the final piece underlines the mysterious beauty of life."
West End Gallery respectfully acknowledges the Lekwungen peoples, specifically the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, on whose traditional lands our Victoria gallery stands. We also acknowledge that our Edmonton gallery is situated on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples, including the Cree, Blackfoot, Metis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, and Inuit.