Henry Saxe

Represented by John Mann Gallery

Canadian sculptor, Henry Saxe was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1937. He attended the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. He later settled in the countryside of Tamworth, Ontario. While sculpture remains his main focus, Saxe also practices drawing and painting. In the sixties, his works represented a clash between constructivism and abstract expressionism. These two- dimensional works tie into Saxe’s sculptural practice as they deal with concepts of balance, juxtaposition and distribution. Surfaces are often etched or cut to create jagged and fractured forms. Aluminum plates which absorb and reflect light from multiple angles are also often incorporated in his work.

His early years coincided with the political, social and artistic upheaval in Quebec, beginning with Les Automatistes followed a few years later by the publication of the anti –establishment, anti religious manifesto Le Refus Global, and then by another non-figurative movement, Les Plasticiens. During this period of change Saxe became acquainted with and developed friendships with Guido Molinari, Yves Gaucher, Ulysse Comptois, Jacques Hurtubise and Claude Tousignant. His early influences were the American abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning (1904 – 1997) and the American minimalist David Smith (1906 – 1965). Both played an important role in Saxe’s career as he began to develop a constructivist theme that continues to this day.

Saxe has received numerous awards, including the Order of Canada and Quebec’s prestigious Borduas Prize. He has had major solo exhibitions throughout Canada including at the National Gallery of Canada, and Musee d’Art Contemporain de Montreal. He represented Canada at the Venice Biennale (1978). Most recently he has had solo exhibitions in the Freedman Gallery at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania and at The University of Sherbrook in Quebec.

Henry Saxe

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Published on August 20, 2022

MEET THE ARTISTS Carlo Amantea and Henry Saxe

Join us on the opening day of LEVEL UP and meet the artists Carlo Amantea and Henry Saxe on Saturday, September 10, 2022 from 2 – 5 pm. “Just as ALL emotions need to be savoured and not suppressed, the manner in which I apply paint to canvas is an extension...

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Published on October 24, 2020

MEET THE ARTISTS Joseph Drapell and Henry Saxe

Join us on opening day Saturday, September 19, 2020 from 2 to 5 pm and meet two of Canada’s distinctive established artists who have challenged contemporary art discourse, Joseph Drapell and Henry Saxe are two unapologetic artists with strong personal oeuvres that have fought against the tide of fashionable conventions.  "A...

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Published on September 19, 2020

Joseph Drapell and Henry Saxe

September 19, 2020 to October 24, 2020 "A painting takes a long time to make, but I love when art looks fresh, like the sunlight that hits me in 'Eight Minutes Three Seconds'." ~Joseph Drapell "I want the mind to move around and shift, and not to be fixed on...

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