Because it’s Art

He was a young man with an outsized impact on the art world, an artist with a great sense of humour and an irreverent taste whose legacy lives on in a memorial fund with Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF).

Mathieu Lefèvre had a lifelong obsession with art. He started drawing comics and writing skits as a young man, which grew into a passion for art. Later, he went on to become an internationally recognized artist with exhibits in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Roxanne Arsenault, director of artistic programming at Centre d’Art CAB in Montreal, knew him as a student. She describes a talented young artist, one who used art to criticise the system and how it works, employing humour to get his point across. She praised the intelligence, sharpness and wit in his work.

“The first time I met Mathieu, I was working at another artist-run centre. He was approaching different curators, asking them to give a fake testimony on how good an artist and how important an artist he was,” says Arsenault. “I was kind of struck already at the get-go by his confidence, his humour, his boldness.”

Arsenault called Mathieu’s work irreverent, funny and bold, whether it was his paintings or his sculpture. She wasn’t surprised that he became so in demand and that other galleries were picking up his work. She curated a  retrospective show about Mathieu’s work in 2015 at the Centre Clark in Montreal, where she was the co-director at the time.

Mathieu had a wicked sense of humour from a young age, a love of April Fool’s Day and playing pranks. He was someone who made friends easily and found ways to connect with other people.

“If he walked into a room where he knew nobody, within five minutes everyone would be there around him and inviting him to come to their place or come to an event or whatever. He had that kind of charisma that people were attracted to him,” says his mother Erika.

Mathieu lost his life in a tragic accident in New York City in 2011, where he was working as an artist full time. His parents continue to talk about his life and his art and fundraise to help other young artists live out their dreams.

“I felt we had to do something to keep his name alive,” says his father, Alain. “Talking to some friends, we viewed what was possible and some friends recommended that we approach the Edmonton Community Foundation.”

Mathieu’s parents set up a memorial fund with ECF in 2015 to honour their son by providing emerging artists the opportunity to pursue their dreams like Mathieu did.

Through donations, fundraising and investment, the fund has increased almost 15 times its original amount. Every year, two scholarships are awarded to students studying or intending to study visual arts at the École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School and at the University of Quebec in Montreal, with almost $12,000 in grants distributed since the fund’s creation.

Mathieu Lefèvre used humour and derision to question the conventions and systems that govern society, particularly the art world. He was recognized by the contemporary art community as one of the most promising emerging artists in Canada.

“He’s not here to advocate, to continue his career … So our goal has been to make his name known. We’re trying to do the best we can in getting his work known and having other people appreciate and laugh and enjoy the world of art of Mathieu Lefèvre,” says Erika.