Paul-Émile Borduas is a pioneer of abstract art in Canada. His artistic legacy, both at home and abroad, is exceptional.

November 28, 2024                   Montreal, Quebec                                    Parks Canada

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Paul-Émile Borduas as a person of national historic significance under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration.

Paul-Émile Borduas was born in 1905 in Saint-Hilaire (now Mont-Saint-Hilaire), Quebec. As a young apprentice to painter Ozias Leduc, he studied at l’École des beaux-arts de Montréal, then continued his training in Paris in the 1920s. In 1948, following the creation of the Automatiste movement, he published an essay entitled Refus global. This radical manifesto, written by Borduas in Saint-Hilaire and co-signed by the fifteen other artists in the Automatistes group, triggered strong reactions in Quebec. In this flagship document, Borduas challenges traditional Quebec values and calls for a freer society open to the world. Borduas’ dissenting opinions led to the loss of his job as a professor at the École du meuble de Montréal.

In 1953, due to difficult living conditions, Borduas left Montreal for New York, where he hoped to establish himself on the international scene. It was there that he discovered abstract expressionism, which gave new energy to his paintings. Borduas shines on the international art scene through his participation in numerous museum and gallery exhibitions. He also represented Canada at several international exhibitions. In 1960, he was posthumously awarded the Guggenheim International Award for his painting The Black Star (1957), considered to be one of his masterpieces.

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present.

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