Francis Coutellier was born in 1945
in Namur, Belgium. After studying art at Maredsous (1960-1963), he pursued his studies in painting and ceramics at the École
nationale supérieure d’architecture et des arts visuels in Brussels (1963-1965, 1966-1967). In 1979, he was granted
a Master’s degree in Photography by the State University of New York, in Buffalo. He attended a training workshop in
cinema with Robert Frank (1983), an art bindery workshop with Silvia Riennie (1990), an intaglio workshop with Pavel Skalnik
(1991) and a Polaroid Transfer workshop at Image Work, in Toronto (1995).
In 1967, he was a professor of visual arts at the Cégep in Matane, Quebec, then from 1969 to 2006,
he was a professor in the Visual Arts Department at Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, where he taught ceramics, painting,
drawing and photography. He was president of Galerie Sans Nom (Aberdeen Cultural Centre), of the Board of directors of the
Aberdeen Cultural Centre and was Head of the Visual Arts Department at Université de Moncton for several years. He is a member
of the selection committees for the Commonwealth scholarships and for those awarded by the government of Canada, by foreign
governments and by the Organization of American States.
Abiding by his motto that “an exhibition is worth more than any speech” Coutellier participated
in nearly 200 exhibitions, including over 30 solo events. His works have been shown in several regions in Canada, in the United
States, in Belgium, in France, and in Hong Kong.
In the summer of 1997, Coutellier produced the painting Line at the Galerie d’art de l’Université de Moncton. It was one of three
large works in the exhibition À l’ombre d’Évangéline 1,
marking 150 years since the publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ‘s poem Evangeline.
Coutellier has received grants from the Canada Arts Council and the Université de Moncton Research
Council. His career is marked with several awards and achievements, and his works are part of numerous private and public
collections.
With their ironic treatment of specific events that inspire them, Francis Coutellier’s
works are increasingly in the public eye both locally and nationally. Together with the artist’s involvement in his
community, they have played a part in the development of contemporary art in Acadie.
