Ysabel Lemay is a Canadian artist and photographer known for her intricate, large-scale photographic collages that depict natural landscapes and wildlife. Her work combines multiple photographs of individual elements, such as flowers, trees, and animals, to create a single, seamless image that invites the viewer to explore the details of the natural world.
Interview by Isabelle Chabrat for Michele Mariaud.
Ysabel Lemay was born in Quebec, Canada, in 1966, and currently lives and works in Austin, Texas. She began her career as a painter before transitioning to photography, and she draws inspiration from a range of sources, including the natural world, art history, and her own dreams and memories.
State Department, Art in Embassy, Taiwan Mural 27 feet X 42 feet (8 x 12m)
A gallery talk with Ysabel Lemay
Michele Mariaud Gallery: What insights did your 15-year tenure in advertising yield in terms of aesthetics and creativity, prompting your transition from the corporate realm to becoming an artist?
Ysabel Lemay: Advertising and, most specifically, graphic design, taught me the rules of visual Feng Shui. I learned how to work with colors and how they can trigger different emotions. I learned that image composition is essential for the viewer to look more attentively at the work in front of them. And, most importantly, my fifteen years in advertising taught me how to market my work so I could leave the advertising industry and produce work that is more meaningful to me.
Your work showcases a profound connection to nature as an endless source of inspiration. How do you nurture and sustain this connection?
I am addicted to the beauty and endless visual resources that nature provides. The calm and introspective energy I find in nature allows me to connect with the creative space within. To nurture this connection I have adopted a nomadic lifestyle, traveling frequently to different parts of the world to collect materials from different ecosystems. Mountains, lakes, oceans, deserts -- all have specific qualities that inspire me.
LIFE III. (2014). 42 x 60”, edition of 7. 59 x 94”, edition of 5
Your artworks often seem to bridge the gap between the natural and spiritual worlds. Could you elaborate on the representations of this enchanted realm within your work?
The subtle spiritual energy in my work is the channel of communication between me and nature’s consciousness. I spent the last 12 years looking deep into the details of mother nature. All things that are created from the living world have a specific pulse, an energetic imprint that connects us all. It is, I believe, a reflection of grace that emanates from nature.
LES NATURALISTES, (2012). 48 x 94" (120 x 240cm). AP 1/3
Your artistic style has been described as "hyper-collages." Could you share insights into your creative process and technique?
My hyper-collages are a fusion of two previous periods in my life -- my years as an advertising designer, during which I developed skills in digital imagery, and then my years exploring the art of painting, during which I mastered my aesthetic sensibilities and came to apply a deeper, more spiritual, approach to visual creativity. My technique may be high-tech, but a key element of my hypercollages requires me to travel the globe on photographic expeditions, accumulating vast reserves of natural images. From these I intuitively extract elements and then assemble them into baroque tableaux intended to venerate the undeniable majesty and generosity of nature. I consider myself to be more of a conduit, a gateway through which my viewers can pass in order to immerse themselves in nature’s mysteries and marvels. I leave it to my audience to decide how they want to engage with my work. For some, they may be pleasant and charming decorations for their lives. Others may experience something deeper, perhaps an insight into the spiritual realm. Ideally, I hope my work offers the viewer a moment of meditative contemplation by which they can more fully comprehend their world and themselves.
SAMSARA. (2022). 40 x 68”, edition of 7. 59 x 100”, edition of 5
What direction do you anticipate for your work in the coming years?
At this time I am exploring the possibility of integrating new mediums to my digital work to give it a fresh new perspective. This year I spent several months in Oaxaca, Mexico where I studied different techniques of weaving, threads and embroidery. I also experimented with natural dyes. The idea of using my hands again to build three-dimensional structures really excites me. So, moving forward, I envision embracing both the digital and the analog word.
SEED PODS: 500 black stained porcelain hand-cast pods, eucalyptus seed caps, titanium wires, dimension 36" X 6" X 48
After many years of collaboration with Michele Mariaud, what fond memories do you cherish the most?
I met Michele at an early stage of my artistic career. We naturally bounded since we both spoke French. Michele was a friend to me. We were both very dedicated to the growth of our careers, but we also gave each other the time for personal conversations. I knew about her life and she knew about mine. This more intimate approach to our collaboration helped us navigate the turbulent waters of the world of fine arts with kindness and respect for each other. To this day, I feel her presence. She keeps reminding me of how lucky I am to have the gift of my imagination, and she inspired me to continue sharing it with the world.
ARCADIA (2013). 40” diameter. C-print mounted on Dibond under 0.24” Acrylic glass, aluminum braces on the back. Ed. 5/5