Christian Deberdt was born into an artistic family. At a very early age he attended the Gambetta Printing School in Paris and Estienne Graphic Art School, while apprenticing in reproduction and printing studios.
In 1966, at the age of eighteen, with four years' experience in the field of reproduction and graphic arts, he decided to leave Paris and start a new life in Montreal where his eldest brother was already established.
For the next few years Christian made his living in various ways, working in some of the best restaurants in Montreal, and travelling from coast to coast and in the United States selling encyclopedias, learning English, and soaking up the incredible lanscapes of the country that were to influence his art. It was during this time that he started to really develop his own artistic style. Influenced by the beauty and hardiness of the Maritimes and the vastness of the country, he painted the scenes that surrounded him and was greatly encouraged when his friends and aquaintances wanted to purchase these works.
It was in 1976 that Chris decided to become a full-time artist. He was greatly influenced by the Group of Seven, and in particular by Lawren Harris with his graphic landscape scenes. Around this time he also discovered the work of another Canadian artist, Tom Forrestal, the hyperrealist. From these influences, his own style and vision started to emerge.
For Chris the subject of a painting is not cerebral, intellectual or ideological. His theme is simple, he observes the elements of nature, simplifying them to their purest form while giving his own twist to the mountains, trees, lakes and rivers, rocks and flowers. The scenes are almost always rural, a celebration of the vegetation and landscapes that surround him.
Working with acrylics on canvas or with Prismacolor pencils, Chris combines dreams and reality to create a three-dimensional world. His work incorporates styles such as hyperrealism, surrealism and fantasy to achieve a distinct and unique all his own. Light is supremely important to the artist and he sometimes breaks the rules in his interplay of shadow and light - in his forest scenes the light is sometimes multi-directional, creating a mystical effect that transports us into an imaginary yet familiar world.
He works, as his paintings might suggest, with rare precision. Although he sometimes works up to ten hours a day, his production is still limted to about twenty-five paintings a year, as each painting takes weeks to complete.
In 1981, the artist's long-time dream of purchasing a house in the Eastern Townships came true. Several years later he met and married Lucie. Her three children became built-in models for the artist and were the subjects of many of his paintings.
In 1996, Chris started working on a series of meticulous miniatures. The detail is quite startling in these works that are generally no larger than 2"x 3".
Christian Deberdt is represented across Canada and the United States, and his work can be found in numerous museum and corporate collections.
EXPOSITIONS
· 2009 : Exposition retrospective, Fondation Armand Bombardier, Valcourt
· 2011-10-09-08-07-06-05-04-03-02-01-00: Le choix des artistes, exposition de groupe, Galerie Valentin, Montréal
· 2010-09-08-07-06-05-04-03-02-01-00-99-98-97-96-95-94: Petits formats, exposition de groupe, Galerie Valentin, Montréal
· 2005 Solo, Galerie Valentin, Montréal
· 2005: Solo, Gallery Gevik, Toronto
· 2003 : Solo, Gallery Gevik, Toronto
· 2002: Solo, Galerie Valentin, Montréal
· 1999: Solo, Galerie Valentin, Montréal
· 1999: Autoportrait, exposition de groupe, Galerie Valentin, Montréal
· 1996: Duo avec Geneviève Jost, Galerie Jean-Pierre Valentin, Montréal
· 1994: Raymond, Chabot, Martin, Paré et associés, Sherbrooke
· 1992: Atelier de l’artiste, Stukely Sud
· 1991: Traversée internationale du lac Memphrémagog, Magog
· 1991: Galerie Jean-Pierre Valentin, Montréal
· 1991: Lourie Gallery, Toronto
· 1989: Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal
· 1989: Musée de Beaux-Arts de Sherbrooke
· 1986: Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal
· 1985: Huit peintres réalistes, Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal
· 1983: Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal
· 1981: Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal
· 1980: Peintres du québec, Shell Canada, Calgary
· 1981: Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto
· 1980: Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal
· 1980: Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto
· 1979: New York International Art Fair, New York
· 1979: Esso Concerts, Place des Arts, Montréal
· 1978: M. J. S. International, Forth Worth, Texas
· 1978: Galerie l’Art Français, Montréal
· 1978: Art 78-JPS & PS, Montréal
· 1978: Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke
· 1977: F. Tannock and Sons Gallery, Montréal
· 1976: Galerie Knobb, Montréal
PRINCIPAL COLLECTIONS
· Bombardier, Valcourt
· Galerie d’art de l’Université du Cap Breton, Sydney, Nouvelle-Ecosse
· Glaxo Canada
· Invesfor, Montréal
· La Laurentienne, Compagnie d’Assurance, Québec
· Montréal Trust, Montréal
· Musée du Saguenay, Chicoutimi
· Musée des Beaux-Arts de Sherbrooke
· Postes Canada, Ottawa
· Reader’s Digest, Montréal
· The Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, Ontario
· Nombreuses autres collections particulières
· Le groupe Bocage, Sherbrooke
· McMaster University Art Gallery, Hamilton, Ontario
· Musée de Charlevoix, Pointe au Pic, Québec
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dany Jacques, Christian Deberdt revient à la vie. Le Reflet du Lac (20 mai 2009)
Robert Bernier , Imaginer le monde… C. Deberdt à la galerie Jean-Pierre Valentin, Parcours l’informateur des arts, vol. 8 no. 3 (automne 2002)
Louis Bruens, Investir dans les oeuvres d’art, 1988
Guide Vallée, Félix Vallée, 1983
Guy Robert, L’art au Québec depuis 1970, 1983
Jacques de Roussan, Le paysage dans l’art au Québec , 1982
Jacques de Roussan , Le nu dans l’art au Québec , 1982
Guy Robert , Deberdt ou le clair regard du matin, Vie des Arts, 1982
100 peintres du Québec,1980
Guy Robert , La peinture au Québec depuis ses origines, 1978
Guy Boulizon , Le paysage dans la peinture au Québec , 1984
INTERVIEWS
· L’Artiste et son univers. Interview Hélène Hardy. Production Vidéotron La télévision de la Rive-Sud, 1991 (25 min.)
