In the printmaking arts, know-how is much more than the manual mastery of a given technique: it requires an in-depth, sensitive knowledge of the material, coupled with precision and fluidity of gestures. Relying on the principle of seriality in both the practice and teaching of this discipline, repetition becomes the learner's mantra. With countless hours spent in the studio, the execution of a single movement becomes automatic both for the artist's body and memory. By multiplying the number of printed surfaces, he or she gradually comes to recognize and predict the interactions between the various components of the image. Little by little, he or she accumulates experience, and under the watchful eye of a guide, absorbs these teachings, making them his or her own. As a result, the learner can now share this know-how with his or her community.
Over the course of the Savoir/Faire creation residency, the artists Émili Dufour, Ilana Pichon, Magali Baribeau-Marchand and Marilyse Goulet immersed themselves in a process of experimentation and discovery of some traditional printmaking techniques, such as silkscreen and etching. This mentoring project took shape in the newly renovated premises of the Centre SAGAMIE. Centered on collaboration and an exchange of skills, this residency fostered personalized accompaniment, transfer of knowledge and development of a renewed dialogue about each artist's practice. The master/apprentice hierarchy was blurred, and new works emerged from shared aesthetic concerns.
Text by Laurie Boivin
Ilana Pichon
Ilana Pichon is a Franco-Swiss Canadian multidisciplinary artist. A resident of Quebec City for over 20 years, she holds a master's degree in architecture (Université Laval, 2010) and has received accredited training in the visual arts (Université Laval, 2013 & Geneva, 2000). She alternates her creative mediums according to the season: large-scale murals in the summer, public art, drawing, tufting and printmaking in the studio the rest of the year. Over the years, the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts have awarded her several grants. This support has enabled her to carry out residencies in Quebec, Canada and abroad (Asia, Europe). Her large-format outdoor murals can be found in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, 2024), Finland (Oulu, 2023), Italy (Sicily, 2019) and Canada (Calgary, Winnipeg, Rimouski, Repentigny, Montreal, Quebec City). Her works are part of the collections of Oulu in Finland, Montreal, the Méduse collection in Quebec City, World Affairs Canada and the BAnQ heritage collection.
Marilyse Goulet
Marilyse Goulet lives and works in Quebec, Canada. She is a multidisciplinary artist who focuses primarily in the field of printmaking. Having pursued university studies combining art and mediation, this experience has left a significant mark on her overall artistic approach. Her work is characterized by vivid colours and line work. Her career path bears witness to a deep interest in encounters with a variety of publics in different environments, which has enriched and nourished her visual arts development. Since the beginning of her career, Marilyse Goulet has received a number of awards and grants. In 2023, she won the CALQ prize for Artist of the year in the Laurentides who recognizes artists who have distinguished themselves for the vibrancy of their career and the excellence of their recent work.
Magali Baribeau-Marchand
Magali Baribeau-Marchand lives in Saguenay, where she completed a Master's degree in Visual Arts at UQAC. She has carried out numerous art residencies in Quebec, as well as in France, Russia and Belgium. Very active in her community in recent years, she has also collaborated with several artists in group exhibitions, mainly in Saguenay. In 2022, Magali Baribeau-Marchand was the recipient of the Yvonne L. Bombardier Visual Arts Scholarship.
Émili Dufour
Émili Dufour holds a MA and an interdisciplinary BA in fine arts from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. Her work is part of private and public collections, and has been shown in solo and group exhibitions at the Centre national d'exposition (CNE) in Jonquière, Galerie du Cégep de Jonquière, Foire d'art contemporain in Saint-Lambert, Caravansérail in Rimouski, Galerie l'Œuvre de l'Autre de Chicoutimi and Langage Plus in Alma.
The Savoir / Faire project is made possible thanks to financial support from the Programme de partenariat territorial du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, a partnership agreement between CALQ, the City of Alma and the region's MRCs.
