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Artist Leaves a Sales Career in Quest of Creativity
Pierre Trahan, Sculptor & Cabinet Maker
By: Ilania Abileah
Pierre
Trahan spent 25 of his working
career years as a tire salesman. In fact he was a Regional Sales
Manager for
Quebec and the Maritime provinces. One day he decided that
he would much rather make and sell his own creations. He took courses
and started to make furniture. He made his home in Grace Park (Gore)
and filled it with his own furniture, treated with natural finishes, and
in a style reminiscent of yesteryear. Then he started undertaking
commissions for furniture, and his clientele gradually grew.
Pierre perfected his trade, and now teaches wood finishing techniques at
the “École
Atelier d’ébénisterie”
in St. Jerome.
Pierre Trahan loves working with wood. However, making furniture was
not enough to satiate his hunger for creativity. In his quest, he also
painted and made objects from recycled material. He created many
whimsical wine bottle containers, featuring grotesque heads with
sarcastic facial expressions.
Pierre
found his own voice in combining wood with clay.
He creates figurines from found branches, to which he attaches clay
heads and torsos. The result is a whole dance company, each dancer
featuring a unique character. In this series the heads are without
facial features, yet the personality is well defined by the body
language. Pierre
says that the curve of the branch dictates the dance movement. His
statuettes range from a small one-foot figure to a larger than life size
statue displayed in the garden.
Pierre Trahan keenly shares his creative process with visitors and does
it with a warm welcome. Pierre’s studio is open to the public during
Route des Arts, or you may call him for an appointment (450) 562-9842.
More about Pierre
Trahan's work can be seen
here.
Colours
and dimensions artwork may be slightly different from the original.
