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Abstract painter Fernand Leduc has been a major figure in Quebec’s contemporary art scene for the past 50 years. In the 1940s, he played a major role in the formation of the group of dissident artists known as the Automatistes, which included such well-known artists as Jean‑Paul Riopelle, Paul‑Émile Borduas and Françoise Sullivan. In the mid-1950s, dividing his time between Montreal and Paris, he became the president and founding member of the Association des artistes non-figuratifs of Montreal. In more recent years, he focused on creating abstract landscapes, creating works featuring luminous fields of colour. His commitment to art was also evident in his writing and teaching. In 1988, he was awarded the Prix Paul‑Émile Borduas and received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2007. After spending a good part of his life in France and Italy, he returned to Montreal in 2006.
