Seguin Poirier Gallery Tour and Workshop

Born on the Plateau Mont-Royal in 1949, Bernard Seguin Poirier is the fourth child of a family of nine, with two sisters and four brothers. His father, Marcel Poirier, was a goldsmith and his mother, Rolande Seguin, was a painter and sculptor. His parents, originally from Soulanges in the west of Montreal, moved to Ville-Emard, where they attracted a large clientele from churches in Quebec and Europe. Bernard Seguin Poirier learns drawing, sculpture, painting and goldsmithing before developing a great interest in metal enamelling. At the age of seventeen, he went to France precisely Limoges, where he stayed for a total of three years and learned the basic skills of enamelling.

As he improves his skills in the craft, Bernard Seguin Poirier contributes enormously to the evolution of this ancient but little-known art. His techniques in enamelling are new and innovative which brought on the idea of designing the biggest kiln in the world for the purpose of the creating huge enamel-on-copper paintings. Thanks to this innovative kiln, Bernard Seguin Poirier proceeds to create his Enameled Chapel which he inaugurates in 2001. For the first time entire walls of a building are embellished with huge enamel-on-copper paintings. Since the opening of the Chapel that is adjoined to his house, hundreds of artistic events and gourmet dinners have been celebrated in it, making the count to this day at over 110 000 participants in these event