Yves Tessier

Over the years, Yves Tessier has developed a distinctive pictorial language, exploring diverse scenarios and subjects. With wet, fluid strokes laid down over dry strokes, he works in casein paints on a ground of marble dust gesso, applied to aluminum and wood panels. Tessier creates flattened narrative scenes inspired by keen observations of everyday life, as well as television, internet, and newspaper clippings. His process often begins with candid photography, which he reinterprets in his paintings. Tessier’s deep interest in the history of casein paint, pigments, and fresco techniques lends his work a quality reminiscent of ancient Egyptian and Etruscan art, particularly in the flat, profile-oriented figures. At the same time, his paintings feature a contemporary cinematic feel, transforming ordinary social encounters into visually captivating compositions. Tessier creates works that are both immediately engaging and richly layered with meaning, inviting viewers to celebrate the beauty and complexity of daily life in the city.

Born in 1955 in Montreal, where he currently lives and works, Yves Tessier spent more than thirty years in New York, a period during which his work was profoundly influenced by the city’s cultural richness. His work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at SHRINE, his representing gallery in New York, as well as at James Fuentes (New York), Optica (Montreal), SKOL (Montreal), Galerie Laroche/Joncas (Montreal), Art 45 (Montreal), and the London Biennale in England. In 2021, David Zwirner’s online initiative, Platform: New York, spotlighted Tessier's practice, and he was invited again in 2022 for the platform's one-year anniversary. Recently, one of Tessier’s major works was acquired by the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and another by the Canadian collection of the Banque Nationale, now displayed in their new headquarters, one of Montreal’s tallest buildings. His work has been reviewed by some of North America's most influential publications, including Art in America, Frieze, The New York Times, Akimbo, The National Post, Le Devoir, and Canadian Art Magazine.