Marie-Claude Marquis
Born in 1983, Marie-Claude Marquis is a Montreal-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses visual arts, graphic design, and installation. With a certificate in Fine Arts from the Université du Québec à Montréal, she draws inspiration from vintage objects, pop culture, nostalgia, contemporary feminist perspectives, and her own emotions, which she expresses with colorful sensitivity. Through whip-smart typographical interventions, she critiques everything from technology and consumerism to religion and sexuality, while also highlighting the environmental impacts of artistic production and consumption. The results of her work are often humorous, sometimes irreverent, but always focused on aesthetics.
Marquis has exhibited in contemporary art galleries across North America and Europe, including Montreal, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Portland, Chicago, Miami, and Hamburg. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications such as Vogue and is included in numerous corporate, private, and public collections, including the permanent collection of the Musée Pointe-à-Callière.
A constant theme in Marquis's artistic statement is her encouragement for viewers to be vulnerable and honest with themselves. She refocuses attention on candor, communication, and communal awareness by offering bold, honest, humorous, and unapologetic messages on fragile materials like ceramics and soft fabrics. Old and nostalgic objects have always inspired Marquis. She firmly believes that we cannot base our happiness on things we buy; once we have them, we’ll want something else, and it never ends. Instead, she emphasizes that the time spent with those who matter most is what truly counts. The experiences, people, and memories we create nourish our spirits, and by primarily working with second-hand objects, she feels she is resisting the consumer cycle.
What is your first memory creating?
I have been creating for as long as I can remember. As a child, there was a playroom in our house where there were no rules. It was filled with art supplies, and we could paint on the walls, put glitter everywhere, and have fun. It definitely helped me develop my creativity. I also lived in a remote area, where I didn't have many friends nearby, so I spent my time creating tons of projects. I had a table on the side of the street where I tried to sell what I made, and it was constantly changing: greeting cards, drawings, ugly wallets made from fabric scraps, etc. No one was passing by, but I kept going! (Hahaha!)
What is your relationship to your medium? What draws you to it?
The plates are a happy mix of two of my passions: painting and vintage hunting. I've always painted, but when I switched from my studies in visual arts to graphic design, the love of words and typography emerged, opening up a new world for me. Thrift shopping has also always been a part of my life. As a kid, my grandmother volunteered at a vintage costume store, and my mother took me to the flea market every week. Finding forgotten treasures has always excited me. Thus, reinterpreting found objects with hand-painted letters has been a pretty organic evolution.
What is the main thing you hope your audience takes away from your art?
I just want people to feel something, period. Not all my pieces can resonate with every viewer, but if just one provides the little push they needed that day or makes them laugh, then I've achieved my goal, which is to connect with them. In shows, I often ask people about their top three pieces from the body of work, and it automatically reveals their personal mood. It is quite enlightening. I also firmly believe that we cannot base our happiness on new things we can acquire. Without being admonitory, I absolutely want my viewers to take away the value of reusing and buying second-hand. I want to show that old objects are beautiful—they have a soul and a story.
Tell us about a challenge you overcame last year.
2023 was quite hard for me since my mom passed away in May. I was confused and unable to create for a while, which made me feel very lost. I had to cancel shows, and for someone who is usually very productive, it was stressful. However, ideas gradually returned, and ultimately, creating helped me process my emotions. I'm still recovering, but last November, I delivered the exhibition that I feel is the most coherent of my practice and the one I’m most proud of.
What is your main goal or resolution this year in terms of your art practice?
I want to take time to play and experiment more with the different mediums I work with: embroideries, velvets, tapestries, objects, and, of course, plates. I want to push the alterations further to add even more meaning to the pieces.
