Propeller Member Since 2009
Michelle Letarte attended the Ontario College of Arts (now OCADU) on a part-time basis starting in 1975, with ceramics and sculpture as her major subjects. She has been painting for 30 years, training through various workshops and courses. She works mostly with acrylic and her abstract paintings are inspired by her numerous world travels.
Michelle Letarte was born in Quebec City and she is proud of her French heritage. Toronto has been her home since 1975. She trained as a biochemist/immunologist and directed a research laboratory at SickKids Hospital. She is currently a Professor of Immunology Emerita at the University of Toronto, involved in organizing courses in the developing world and traveling to foreign destinations, particularly in Africa and Latin America.
Michelle has participated as well as organized several group shows and had several solo exhibitions, mostly at Propeller. Her artworks are present in many private collections. She has been a member of Propeller since 2009 and was Chair of the Membership & Selection committee for 6 years. She is now Chair of Propeller as of April 2020.
Artist Statement: My creativity is expressed in both science and the visual arts. Painting allows my mind to wander beyond the rigid boundaries and rules of science. My art is very experimental and abstract work with lots of textures soon became my favourite mode of expression. I use mostly acrylics, collages of papers and small found objects, rust imprints and image transfers of my own photographs. Bursts of colours and large shapes, in energetic motions, lead to enthusiastic, bold and simple abstract statements. I relish painting on location— the more exotic, the better.
