Artist Statement

“As a figurative painter, I create characters that are, in a way, involuntary self-portraits reflecting my own identity. This interpersonal concept goes further than my simple point of view and refers also to meta-perception, meaning the perception an individual has regarding someone else’s perception towards himself. Many painters chose to claim their origins, genders and sexual orientations but, in opposition to many of those artists, the social group to which i be- long is privileged: I am a cis straight white man. This approach allows me to represent my own identity in a subjective way, contrasting with the artistic tendency to portray the cis straight white man in an objective way.

The characters I create are satires that allow me to discuss contemporary social issues such as stereotypes regarding masculinity, social integrity, ecology, etc. Furthermore, the objects

surrounding the main character support the social concept I wish to evoke. They are selected for what their great resonance in the collective imagination and they also allow me to shape the protagonist’s personality, given that our consumption is a way to express how we belong to various social groups. Most of the time, these objects are man-made so that the spectator has a feeling of temporality and familiarity regarding what they are looking at. This inspiration from the artistic movement Pop Art allows me at the same time to criticize the consumerism of the 21st century.

This cynical point of view of the world contrasts with the colorful aesthetics and the humorous side of my paintings. To guide the eye on the composition and allow it to focus on some elements in particular. Some of them are painted in a hyper-realistic way while some others are schematized and geometric like a photographic focus. Also, hyper expressive facial features and wide eyes somehow make my characters vulnerable to the world surrounding them, dis- connected from a changing reality. In short, my canvases express a dark and critical perception of the cis straight white man.”

Arnold’s work has been shown at the Bellevue Art Museum, Washington, at 0.0.la, Los-Angeles and WIP Gallery, Montreal. He has also created murals for several clients including Cossette Communication, Sid Lee, SDC Les Quartiers du Canal and the city of Sherbrooke.

EDUCATION

2009 – 2012 Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Montreal
2006-2009 Technique in Graphic, Cégep de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke.
2004-2006 DEC in Fine Arts, Champlain Regional College, Lennoxville.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2022 “Hey Bro!” (solo show), Lorin Gallery, Los-Angeles, California, USA
2022 “Art Central”, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China
2022 “Femininity”, Lorin Gallery, Los-Angeles, California, USA
2021 “Summer Group Show”, 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace, Mermaid Beach, Queensland, AU
2022 Hyper-Contemporary, Real Tinsel organised by Hasbrook Galleries, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
2020 Hot Paper Online Exhibition, Got It For Cheap, 0.0-LA, Los-Angeles, USA.
2020 Intersection Exhibition, Community Centre and cultural Françoise-Dunn, Sherbrooke, CA.
2019 While Supplies Last, Bellevue Art Museum, Washington, USA.
2019 Museum of Love, Los-Angeles, USA.
2019 Galerie WIP, First Anniversary, Montreal, CA.
2018 Intersection Exhibition, Community Centre and cultural Françoise-Dunn, Sherbrooke, CA.
2017 Got It For Cheap Exhibition, 0.0-LA, Los-Angeles, USA.
2017 Grand Project Secret, Canadian Bacon, Quebec, CA.
2017 Intersection Exhibition, Community Centre and cultural Françoise-Dunn, Sherbrooke, CA.
2016 Artflip 02: Le Glitch Artistique, Fresh Paint, Montreal, CA.
2016 BBB launch: The Collection, Sino Shop, Montreal, CA.
2016 Out for Fame, Center Culturel du Mont-Dore, New Caledonia, FR.
2015 MTL Zoo 3rd edition, Galerie de l’Agora du CVM, Montreal, CA.
2015 Opinel series, Art By Friends, Annecy, FR.
2015 Festival Amalgam” , temporary gallery, Sherbrooke, CA.
2014 ‘Arnold & Scribe CSX’, Fresh Paint, Montreal, CA.

PUBLIC ART & MURALS

2020 Cossette Communication, Montréal, Québec, CA.
2018 Festival de Rue de Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, CA.
2018 Bouffe Ton Centro, Sherbrooke, CA.
2017 SDC Les Quartier du Canal, CA.
2018 Mtl en Arts, Montreal, CA.
2017 Mtl en Arts, Montreal, CA.
2017 Hydro Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, CA.
2016 Partage Saint-François, Sherbrooke, CA.
2016 City of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, CA.
2015 Commission Scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, CA.
2014 Symposium Art Mural Sherbrooke, Festival des Traditions du Monde
2014 Les Foufounes Électriques, Under Pressure festival, Montreal, CA.
2014 Du Triolet High School (Pavillion2), Sherbrooke, CA.
2012 – 2013 Zoo de Granby (Amusement Park), Granby, CA.
2013 De La Montée High School (Le Ber pavilion), Sherbrooke, CA.

PAINTING LIVE

2018 Sid Lee, Montreal, CA.
2017 Les Grands Bois, La Comission Brassicole, Saint-Casimir, CA.
2016 Romeo’s Gin, OMG Burger, Sherbrooke, CA.
2016 World Biomaterials Congress, Palais des Montreal Congress.
2015 Sonic Island, Parc Jean-Drapeau.
2014 Urbania, Tohu, 10th Anniversary.
2014 Symposium Art Mural Sherbrooke, Festival des Traditions du Monde.
2014 Group ABP, Tohu, 25th Anniversary.