This September, Bau-Xi Gallery | Dufferin enthusiastically presents "Trees Like Bent Men," a serene and meditative exhibition by Canadian painter, Robert Marchessault. This show will be exhibited at 1384 Dufferin Street, the gallery’s Toronto flagship location from September 12th to October 3rd. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, September 14th from 2:00 - 5:00 pm where the artist will be in attendance.

In this newest collection, Marchessault continues to demonstrate our commonalities with and reliance on nature through his unique depictions of trees. Their curvature, foothold, size, and colouring attribute human characteristics to remind us that trees are expressive beings. The artist uses beauty as a device to engage the audience, inspiring ethical action with our current climate crisis and mindfulness towards the natural world.

Marchessault states: “I have been working with the ideas of trees since 1978 and had expressed myself through them, but I had a desire to link human dimensions and deeper feelings to my art. A collector of my work visited my studio and on seeing my paintings remarked, 'Trees like bent men!' That phrase has stuck with me ever since.

Two thousand and twenty-four is a significant year, as I am now seventy. Looking back, it is clear that my passion for the natural world, especially plants and trees has not waned. Through the decades I have varied my approach to painting these subjects, from classical renderings to pure abstraction, settling now on a hybrid synthesized amalgam.