BIOGRAPHY
Nicolas Ruel has traveled across a hundred countries to build a large body of work, including the Cityscape, Civilization and Industrial projects. The artist was born in Montreal in 1973. He spends his time between Paris, New York and Montreal where his studio is based.
He is featuring emblematic cities with a futuristic angle; a tribute to historical sites, architectural splendors and lifestyles of humankind in the 21st century. The artist has developed an in-camera double-exposure method, a prevalent feature in his work to create unique visual signatures. The large-format stainless steel prints, dedicated to Cityscape and Industrial series, highlight the monumentality of his subjects, which bring the metallic surfaces to life with shimmering inks. Bronze first appeared as a photographic support in the series Civilization, which revisits the historically charged vestiges of archeological sites, sanctuaries, and ancient cities. More recently, prints on paper and gold plates were introduced in new series featuring palaces and castles around the world.
His works have been featured in solo and group exhibitions and art fairs around the world. His photographs are part of numerous public and private collections, namely, Air Canada, Cirque du Soleil, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Power Corporation, Microsoft and The Rothschild Group. He has also collaborated with international magazines such as Vogue and National Geographic.
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Solo Exhibitions
| 2019 | Paris Versailles, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montréal, Canada |
| 2018 | Toronto / New York, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, Canada |
| 2017 | Les siècles / Centuries, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montréal, Canada |
| 2015 | Montréal, Projet 8 secondes, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montréal, Canada |
| 2014 | Œuvres choisies / Selected work, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montréal, Canada |
| 2013 | Iconography, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada |
| 2012 | 12 ans / 12 years, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montréal, Canada Soundtrack, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France |
| 2011 | Micro-métrages, Lacerte Art Contemporain, Montréal, Canada Until Now, Shore Club, Toronto, Canada City Scape, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France |
| 2010 | Carnaval, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada |
| 2009 | Projet 8 secondes, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Projet 8 secondes, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada Projet 8 secondes, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France |
| 2008 | Recent Works, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada Œuvres récentes, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France Elements, Decca 77, Montréal, Canada Refraction, Hôtel Nelligan, Montréal, Canada |
| 2007 | Inox, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France Elements, Lacerte art contemporain, Québec, Canada Elements, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada Œuvres choisies, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Le Québec au Japon, Ambassade du Canada à Tokyo, Japon |
| 2005 | Inox, Parquet de la Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec (CDP), Montréal, Canada. |
Group Exhibitions
| 2020 | Modern + Contemporary, Palm Beach Art Fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, USA |
| 2019 | Collective Exhibition, Museum Europäischer Kulturen, Berlin, Germany Art Miami, Miami Beach Contemporary Art Fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, USA Art Toronto, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, Canada Palm Beach Art Fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, USA |
| 2018 | Art Miami, Miami Beach Contemporary Art Fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, USA Art Toronto, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, Canada Palm Beach Art Fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, USA |
| 2017 | Pulse, Miami Beach Contemporary Art Fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Miami, USA (still) life, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France Art Toronto, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, Canada Sculpture, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montréal, Canada |
| 2016 | The fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Seoul, Korea The fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, Kunsthalle, Munich, Germany |
| 2015 | Art Palm Beach, Foire internationale d’art contemporain, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Palm Beach, USA |
| 2014 | Expo Chicago, Chicago international art fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, USA Art Toronto, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, Canada Photo 2014, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montréal, Canada Collectif d’été, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France |
| 2013 | The fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, Swedish Centre Architecture and Design, Stockholm, Sweden Art Toronto, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, Canada Summer Show, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France |
| 2012 | Art Toronto, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie de Bellefeuille, Toronto, Canada |
| 2011 | Collectif d’été, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France My Favorites, Lacerte Art Contemporain, Montréal, Canada |
| 2010 | Art Toronto, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie Orange, Toronto, Canada From Quebec in New York, Relative Space, New York, USA Art Basel Group Exhibition, Seine 51 in Wynwood Art District, Miami, USA Collectif, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France Bois, encre, métal, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada |
| 2009 | Collectif, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France Photo Miami 09, Stand Galerie Orange, Art Basel, Miami, USA TIAF, Toronto international art fair, Galerie Lacerte, Toronto, Canada Collectif, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Mori Tower Project, Nuit Blanche, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada Périple, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Group show, Thompson Landry Gallery Toronto, Canada Collectif, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France |
| 2008 | Palm Beach3, Foire internationale d’art contemporain, Galerie Seine 51, Palm Beach, USA Collectif Photo, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Photo Miami 08, Stand Galerie Orange, Art Basel, Miami, USA Mouvements focalisés II – Chorégraphes/Photographes, Galerie SAS, Montréal, Canada Photofocus, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Group show, Thompson Landry Gallery, Calgary, Canada Collectif, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France |
| 2007 | TIAF, Toronto international art fair, Stand Galerie Lacerte, Toronto, Canada International Flora, Le festival de jardins de Montréal, Montréal, Canada Collectif, Galerie Lacerte, Québec, Canada Quatre-Quarts, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Collectif, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France Group show, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada My Favorites, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France L’Art du Japon au Québec, Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Montréal, Canada Art-Paris, Foire internationale d’art contemporain, Galerie Seine 51, Paris, France Palm Beach3, Foire internationale d’art contemporain, Galerie Lacerte, Palm Beach, USA |
| 2006 | TIAF, Toronto international art fair, Galerie Lacerte, Toronto, Canada Collectif, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Group show, Thompson Landry Gallery, Toronto, Canada Palm Beach3, Foire internationale d’art contemporain, Galerie Lacerte, Palm Beach, USA Art Miami, Foire internationale d’art contemporain, Galerie Lacerte, Miami, USA |
| 2005 | Collectif, Galerie Lacerte, Montréal, Canada TIAF, Toronto international art fair, Galerie Lacerte, Toronto, Canada Vicissitudes, Exposition duo présentée au Cirque du Soleil, Montréal, Canada Collectif Capic, Galerie Art Mûr, Montréal, Canada Lieux, Galerie Orange, Montréal, Canada Les Nues, Galerie Galri, Montréal, Canada La La La Human Steps, Aéroport international Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau, Montréal, Canada |
Collections
| Air Canada Arton Capital Ashlar Urban Baume & Mercier BMO Banque de Montréal Canadiana Fund State Art Collection Cirque du Soleil Colart Collection Dior East-West Investment Fednav Globe Capital Management Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP Irving Loto-Québec Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy LVMH MGM Grand Microsoft Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal Museum Europäischer Kulturen Ontario Power Authority Pembrook Capital Management Power Corporation The Rose Corporation Rothschild Investment Banking Steve Madden Stonegate TD Bank Financial Group Warner Brothers Private collections |
Education
| 1995 | Études en scénarisation cinématographique Université du Québec à Montréal |
| 1993 | Relations internationales – concentration en photographie Cégep du Vieux-Montréal |