This new exhibition brings together some twenty engravings by Julie Ouellet. Created between 2019 and 2021 during a residency at the Atelier Circulaire, these etchings were produced thanks to the François-Xavier Marange research grant, awarded to the artist by the UQAM Foundation.

An initial selection of these works was presented as part of the exhibition “Ligne sous presse” at Atelier Circulaire. The present exhibition constitutes the second installment of that series.

In this body of work, Julie Ouellet initially chooses to rigorously adhere to the standards and conventions specific to printmaking. She seeks to follow these codes precisely, to test their resilience and see how far they can be pushed. But as the process unfolds, events, accidents, and the unexpected lead her elsewhere. The rules shift, twist, and gradually transforms: the artist ultimately makes them her own, allowing a path unique to her to emerge.

Using the tools of printmaking—and more specifically, the medium of intaglio—Ouellet seeks to challenge her drawing practice. Through an instinctive approach, attuned to chance, the artist deliberately subjects her gesture to pressure. For her, the goal is to provoke a sense of renewal that revitalizes her practice, pushes her to surpass herself, and gives rise to wonder—a state that fuels her motivation in her work. Unconventional, her practice is thus built on the tension between mastery and the unexpected. Ouellet remains attentive to what unfolds: the paths blur, the boundaries crumble.