BELLEVUE, WA.- Hall Spassov Gallery presents Privacy by Canadian mixed-media artist Jérôme Poirier, on view from September 2nd through the 30th, 2016.

Painter, sculptor and set designer, Poirier brings to his paintings what a great cinematographer brings to a movie: subtlety, drama, desire. Using heavy contrast, layers and symbolism, the artist’s canvases are populated with faces hesitant to reveal themselves. A film noir feeling prevails, inviting the viewer to unravel each character’s fate. It is this careful balance between revelation and concealment that has garnered Poirier international recognition.

Born in Montréal in 1956, the son of a goldsmith and an artist, Poirier began painting, drawing and sculpting at a young age. He left school early to dedicate himself to his art and started exhibiting at prestigious art and craft shows throughout Canada. He quickly gained momentum and celebrated his first solo exhibition at Toronto’s Craft Council Gallery in 1984.

In the 1980s, Poirier began devoting his artistic pursuit to creating architectural and decorative environments. Being an imaginative and skilled scenic painter, he was commissioned to work on numerous Cirque du Soleil productions, as well as dozens of international movie projects. During this time he also taught sculpture at L’ École du meuble et du bois ouvré de Montréal and began collaborating with choreographer Anne-Marie Giroux.

Recent years have taken Poirier around the world with engagements at the National Museum of Singapore and Cirque du Soleil in London and Tokyo. During his travels the artist has found a fascination capturing people in candid moments with his camera. In his studio in Montréal, where Poirier currently resides, he draws his inspiration from these photographs, blending and transforming faces, bodies, clothing and consumer goods onto the canvas. His interest in the expression of his subjects as they respond to feelings or senses is what motivates each piece. His latest body of work, Privacy, explores these moments and how our perception of privacy augments our responses.

Hall Spassov Gallery is hosting a public Opening Reception for this exhibition on Friday, September 2nd from 5 to 8 pm.