Influenced by butoh dance and calligraphy, this instinctive and visceral artist scrutinises the invisible and ever changing states of humans.  It’s the starting point for a dynamic gestural art dominated by the subconscious: lines breathe, soar, examine inner layers, penetrate, chisel and caress. In À travers, a series of canvass and paper works, shadowy beings allow the essence of usually imperceptible sights bleed through, unveiling a blossom of roots and unspoken words from within.

With degrees in Visual Arts, Scenic Design, and a M.A. in Performing Arts, José Dupuis received a FCAR scholarship to travel to Japan and study with renowned butoh dancer and choreographer Kazuo Ohno, in 1997. Profoundly touched by the master, her artistic approach and world take on an indelible Asian tinge. Through the “dance of darkness”, she discovers the luminous expression of the world of the living. From that point on, breathing, transformations, transiency, life and death, eroticism, macrocosmos and microcosmos will lead to a highly sensitive transcription of her inner landscapes. She is also introduced to traditional Japanese painting by artist Ilan Yanisky (Tokyo) and calligraphy by Tomoko Kodama (Ottawa) who teaches her the synchronisation of body, breathing and hand in the art of painting.

José Dupuis lives and works in Montréal. She has been teaching drawing at the Option Théatre of Collège Lionel Groulx since 1997. Her works and artist’s books have been shown in Montréal and in France.

Overview of the work