Fragmented bodies in stone and bronze, reason against feeling
Pascale Archambault was born in Quebec City, Canada, in 1960. She grew up in a creative home and started sculpting early. Her mother encouraged her from the start. She studied at the École de sculpture sur bois de Saint-Jean-Port-Joli from 1976 to 1978, and later got her bachelor’s in visual arts from UQAM in 1987.
Pascale Archambault at a glance
- Born: 1960, Quebec City, Canada
- Nationality: Canadian
- Training: École de sculpture sur bois de Saint-Jean-Port-Joli (1976 to 1978); BA in visual arts, UQAM (1987)
- Medium: Stone, wood, steel and bronze, sometimes with found objects
- Style: Expressive figurative sculpture, often using fragments of the body
- Signature works: “Simbiosis” (2007); “Pilier Lumineux” at Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap
- Collections: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec; Cirque du Soleil
- Lives and works: L’Avenir, Quebec
Pascale Archambault, sculpture. Sculptural artwork by Pascale Archambault; specific title and date not verified.
Pascale Archambault, sculpture. Sculptural artwork by Pascale Archambault; specific title and date not verified.
Pascale Archambault, sculpture. Sculptural artwork by Pascale Archambault; specific title and date not verified.
Pascale Archambault, sculpture. Sculptural artwork by Pascale Archambault; specific title and date not verified.
Pascale Archambault, sculpture. Sculptural artwork by Pascale Archambault; specific title and date not verified.Pascale Archambault, sculpture. Sculptural artwork by Pascale Archambault; specific title and date not verified.
Pascale Archambault, sculpture. Sculptural artwork by Pascale Archambault; specific title and date not verified.
She’s a Canadian sculptor who works with stone, wood, steel, and bronze. Sometimes she mixes in found objects too. Her work is figurative and very expressive. She’s been a professional artist since the 1980s and has shown her work all over the world.
Her sculptures are about the human body, but not always whole. She often uses fragments, pieces of bodies, arms, legs, torsos. She wants to show the contradictions inside us, the push and pull between reason and emotion, strength and fragility. Her work makes you think about what it means to be human.
“Moi ce que je souhaite, c’est que lorsque les gens regarderont ma sculpture, qu’ils se verront eux-mêmes ou qu’ils se retrouveront dans ce qu’ils voient.”
That quote translates to: “What I wish is that when people look at my sculpture, they will see themselves or find themselves in what they see.” It’s a simple idea, but it gets to the heart of her work. She’s not just making objects. She’s making mirrors.
She pays close attention to texture. Some surfaces are polished smooth, others are left rough and chiseled. She wants you to feel the stone or the wood, not just see it. Her monumental pieces can be found everywhere from Quebec to South Korea.
Q: Where has Pascale Archambault exhibited her work?
A: She’s shown her sculptures in many countries, including Guatemala, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, France, and South Korea. She’s also taken part in international sculpture symposiums. Her pieces are in public collections like the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the Cirque du Soleil.
One of her well-known works is a marble piece called “Simbiosis” from 2007. It shows two figures in a tight embrace, almost like they’re stuck inside the stone. It’s a powerful image of comfort and connection. Another is “Pilier Lumineux,” a stone and bronze work installed at the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap in Quebec. It’s about family and the ties that bind us together.
Q: What materials does she use?
A: She works with stone, wood, steel, and bronze. She often combines these with found objects to create installations that feel like theatrical narratives. She’s been sculpting for over forty years and currently lives and works in L’Avenir, Quebec.