Charles Daudelin

Charles Daudelin studied at Montréal’s École du meuble, notably with Paul-Émile Borduas and Maurice Gagnon. In 1946, after taking part in an exhibit of painting and sculptures in Montréal and after winning an award from the province of Quebec and a bursary from the French government, he left for Paris, where he worked under Henri Laurens and Fernand Léger. Upon his return to Montréal, he worked closely with architects to create interior and exterior works of art destined for public places and participated in an art integration competition. During the 1960s, he created the “Integrated Arts” section of Montréal’s School of Fine Arts.

Charles Daudelin was a pioneer of modern sculpture in Quebec. From the earliest days in his career, he participated in several individual and group exhibits in Canada and in Europe. Over the years, he won several national competitions, which enabled him, notably, to create sculptures for the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Place des Arts, the Montréal courthouse, the provincial government headquarters in Charlottetown, the “G” architectural complex in Québec City and a fountain, L’Embâcle, for Place du Québec in Paris. The altarpiece of the Sacred Heart Chapel in Notre-Dame Church is considered one of his greatest accomplishments.

The environments and objects created by Charles Daudelin show a deep concern for their fundamental purpose and for the people for whom they were intended. In 1985, his artistic endeavours earned him the Paul-Émile-Borduas Award.

Charles Daudelin died in 2001. He was inducted into the Academy of Great Montrealers in the Cultural category in 1994 and was named a Commander of the Ordre de Montréal in 2016.

Source: Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

The picture and biographical information appearing on this page were current at the time this person was admitted to the Academy of Great Montrealers.