Monique Gourgaud is a French contemporary artist. She inspires herself from fauna and flora to create a whimsical universe which is depicted in lush and vibrant colours as well as detailed sketches that is reminiscent of Douanier Rousseau. She stands out by her meticulous work and intricate designs, her elaborate colour palette, which has taken years in the making, is part of her charm as a painter. These vivid paintings depicting a certain joy can be read like an Ariadne's thread, the animals add to the exoticism and richness of the landscapes.
Inspired by the ancient techniques of late painters, Monique Gourgaud uses oil on canvas to express herself. She starts by drawing her mind’s eye which will then be guiding her brushstrokes when the time comes for her to paint. She can then start putting her first layer that will stand as background for her painting. Once dry, she draws on the canvas with pastel and then starts adding colours with paint, which is applied in successive layers. Once done, she finishes by adding a finish called glaze that gives a shiny quality to the painting.
Born in France in 1938, she made her debuts in 1970 in the studio of master Edouard Mac-Avoy where started as her apprentice and learned under his tutelage for seven years. In 1977 she met the famous Japanese painter Seiji Togo, who, seduced by her paintings, organised a personal exhibition for her in Tokyo the following year. Her paintings are exhibited throughout Europe in Holland, Italy, Belgium (where the Lorelei Gallery exhibits them regularly), England, Switzerland. It was there that the Lausanne art publisher, Sylvio Acatos, discovered her work and, in 2001, devoted an important monograph to her with a commentary by the Belgian critic Philippe Cruysmans. In 2006, Arnaud d'Hauterives, then Perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Fine Arts, presented Monique Gourgaud, during her opening, with the insignia of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.