Interview
Claudia Pomerleau
Claudia is a self-taught artist. She paints out of passion, driven by a deep need for escape. Since adolescence, the interplay of light and shadow has fascinated her, giving life to a black and white universe imbued with contrast and emotion. After a long hiatus, a life-altering event reignited Claudia’s creative drive: the discovery of a brain tumor in her 16-year-old daughter and the subsequent surgery marked a turning point in her life. In this ordeal, painting once again became a refuge, a way to channel her emotions and find meaning. She paints without constraint, guided by a free, instinctive impulse and the pure pleasure of creating. Her inspirations are nourished by the power of the animal world, the refinement of Asian art, and the soothing gentleness of nature. These themes reflect her quest for strength, harmony, and serenity. In her work, shadow and light are not opposed: they engage in dialogue, as do pain and beauty, struggle and hope. Claudia’s painting is the reflection of a personal, sincere, and profoundly human journey.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“For as long as I can remember, I've always loved art. From a very young age, it was my way of escaping. I would draw what I saw with my pencils. I remember sitting at my little wooden table outside, facing the house, drawing the car under the carport roof. As a teenager, I discovered acrylique painting and I started painting from images or small stickers that I traced in a larger size. Like this I made my first mural in my room, it was a seascape. After that with my study in interior design and my work, I hadn't the time. It was when I had my children that I started again to decorate their room, I painted on their walls. After that, I paint time by time in my free time for my family and friends on demand. I have no formal training; I'm self taught. It was in fall of 2021 when my 16-years old daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor, that I took up my painting brush again more seriously, but still in my free time. The difference this time I paint for myself, it was a way for me to escape. As a full time early childhood educator and single mother. In the summer of 2024, after many comments from my circle, I decided to built my confidence and exhibit my work to the public for the first time at a local craft market at the end of August 2024. This was a turning point; since then I have participated in several group exhibitions and continue my journey to gain recognition and maybe someday I will be able to live from my art.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My work is an invitation to slow, observe, resent rather than understand. It tell that the interior harmony is in the silence, the link with the nature and the listening to the invisible. It show that strength can be gentle, silent, internal, like what my life cheminement and experience taught me. It's a space for visual meditation, where everyone can project their own story. My art whispers rather than shouts. Like with one of my favorite theme is Japan and Asian, I try to show their ancestral culture and values that inspire me, and still endure today.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“Yes, each work is duly planned. I choose a frame or a canvas, paint the background in an intuitive and abstract way, it's only after that, that I choose the subject of my painting. I may have an idea of the subjet that I want to do, but it is by observing my canvas as well as my bank of images and inspirational photos that the subject appears to me; I like to say that it is the canvas that chooses it. However, I cannot deny that my feelings and emotions at the time also influence my choice to some extent.”
Are there any art world trends are you following?
“My art clearly lies at the crossroads of several currents, without being confined to any one of them. Contemporary Nihonga/poetic Asian inspiration: through my themes of nature, animals, symbols, samurai, and spirituality; the refined composition and a breathing space; soft colors and a calm atmosphere. Symbolism: my art tells of the invisible rather than the real, conveying spiritual meaning (honor, loyalty, courage), introspection, metaphor, or inner narrative. Poetic narrative art: evoking a silent story, an art to contemplate, not analyze. Sumi-e and Zen aesthetics (through its influence, not its technique): the importance of emptiness, the harmony between elements, less to say more. In short, my work falls within a current I define as Contemporary Zen Symbolism, where nature, spiritual figures, and Asian-inspired imagery become poetic metaphors inviting contemplation.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I like to use recycled materials; old canvases, either pre-painted or commercial, that people are throwing away, old frames of all kinds that I refurbish as needed, cabinet doors, wooden planks, and pieces of pre-finished wall are just a few examples. For some of the canvases I salvage, I cover them with scraps of paper, pages from old books, road maps in a style similar to podge. For the frames, sometimes they're photo frames, and others don't have a backing. In those cases, I use watercolor paper, pieces of pre-finished canvas, or canvas board that I cut to size. Then, I paint the background in a very intuitive and abstract way, a combination of two colors that I work with using various tools such as a brush, a sponge, a toothbrush for splattering, a chain for trailing, and a small container for my signature little circles. Next, using my vast collection of images and inspirational photos, I choose the subject I will paint on my canvas. These images serve as a guide and provide a framework for creating the basic form of my artwork. I paint with acrylics, which I sometimes use very diluted to create a watercolor effect that I like.”
What does your art mean to you?
“My art is a form of escape for me. My Asian themes are a way to share the culture, the values, the connection with nature, and the serenity I feel there. It's a way to travel, in my own way. My landscape paintings are meant to soothe and reconnect with nature, to share all its beauty. And my animals, often described as cute and cuddly, are also meant to bring a touch of gentleness and sometimes even bring a smile. For me, my art serves to soothe, bring a certain peace to the soul, and take people on a journey.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“That's a difficult question, because I have several that I truly love and am particularly proud of, such as: Beyond the Waves and the Stars, Together Towards the Horizon, Rio, Red Geisha, Autumn Ladybugs, Anchored to Recharge, and Kokoro no Hono (The Flame of the Heart). But if I had to choose just one, I would say without hesitation: Mulan. She represents feminine grace, gentleness, and delicacy. With the samurai's back turned, slightly behind her, she demonstrates strength. She is a symbol of gender equality, showing that although a woman can be beautiful and delicate, she can also be strong and bold; she is capable of anything if she so chooses. Furthermore, she evokes ancestral values: bravery, loyalty, honor, and sincerity, which are the engravings on Mulan's sword. This reaches deep within me, this inner strength, this resilience, that if you believe in it, you can do anything.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I'm still in my early stages, but I've done a few group exhibitions, most frequently at Galerie 1855 Collective Exhibition in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, where I got my start. I'm extremely grateful to them for believing in me and giving me a chance. It's a wonderful little gallery, very inclusive and involved in the community, welcoming and warm. I go back whenever I have the opportunity. I'm currently exhibiting there for the Maximum 100 exhibition, until January 11, 2026. I'm currently looking into either extending my stay until February or participating in the exhibition that launched my career, Exposition O, from February 19 to March 22, 2026.”
