Claude Bibeau: a unique artist, never forgotten

Born in Drummondville in 1954, Claude Bibeau pursued a career as a painter for more than 20 years. In 1973, he gained recognition by founding the Mouvement Bonbon with fellow painter Colin Chabot.

Whether labelled hyperrealist, naïve or surrealist, Bibeau’s paintings above all reveal a singular artistic personality and a sharp, original view of society. With his great command of drawing and colour, Bibeau left behind a rich, mature and, sadly, unfinished body of work. Two of his major paintings, “Figure de tragédie” and “Sébastien,” are part of the permanent collection of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.

 
 
He explored the themes of naïve art, stylizing landscapes, objects and figures. His influences included pop art, of which he was one of the only exponents in Québec, as well as psychedelic imagery, hyperrealism and surrealism. His work was exhibited in France, Mexico and Canada, and most of it is held in private collections in Europe and North America.

Sadly, Claude Bibeau was diagnosed as HIV-positive in the early 1990s, and his health began to decline after 1996. He made a few trips to Europe with Uwe von Harpe, his partner of 17 years. In 1997, however, his partner’s sudden death and his own worsening health forced him to give up painting. On July 30, 1999, after several months battling AIDS, he died surrounded by his closest friends.

You can discover this unique artist by visiting L’Espace Claude Bibeau at www.galeriecb.com, which is managed by Christian Bédard.