Born in Montreal, Canada, on December 21, 1933.Graphic artist and illustrator for thirty years, Gérard Castonguay has been a painter since the 1970s. His work is a combination of planning and imagination. Although he likes to know what the background will be beforehand, sudden flashes of intuition provide him with many ideas that will be integrated into a work in progress.

In his opinion, there are three elements that decide whether a work of art is good: color, composition, and light. He strives to combine them in order to achieve balance. This is what he believes makes his work dynamic.

His style is neither figurative nor surrealist, but somewhere in between. He incorporates dream and reality to obtain the effects that characterize his paintings: disproportionate figures that suggest movement and landscapes that appear unreal with leaning buildings and trees.

Each artist's work is a reflection of his or her personality. He likes to think that his paintings reflect his perceptions and experience.

STUDIES
École du Meuble de Montréal
Académie des Arts du Canada, graphic art and painting

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2000 Galerie Michel-Ange, Old Montreal, Canada (Duo)
1999 The Collector's Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
Maison des Arts et de la Culture, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada
1997 Galerie McLaren Barnes, Oakville, Canada
1994 Galerie Myrka Bégis, Montreal, Canada
1993 Galerie Westmount, Canada
Galerie d'Art Ile des Moulins, Terrebonne, Canada
Dimension Plus, Toronto, Canada
1992 Galerie Myrka Bégis, St-Lambert, Canada
Galerie Josée Tillmant, St-Sauveur, Canada
1991 Galerie Josée Tillmant, St-Sauveur, Canada
1990 Galerie de la Gare, St-Lambert, Canada
1988 Galerie de la Gare, St-Lambert, Canada

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1998 Galerie Michel-Ange, Montreal, Canada
1997 La Maison Richelieu, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada
Musée Vaudreuil, Vaudreuil, Canada
1996 Rockefeller Center, New York, USA
1995 Printzipples Fine Art, Toronto, Canada
Galerie Manseau, Joliette, Canada
Galerie Pauline Johnson, Montreal, Canada
McLaren-Barnes Gallery, Oakville, Canada
1993 S.N.B.A. Biennial, Paris, France
1992 Galerie le Relais des Époques, Montreal, Canada
Palais des Congrès "SIDIM," Montreal, Canada
1991-92 Young Fox Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Galerie d'Art Lune Bleue, Laval, Canada
1991 Galerie P. Labrecque, Trois-Rivières, Canada
1990 Galerie le Relais des Époques, Montreal, Canada
Galerie Miroir des Arts, Montreal, Canada
1989 Galerie Le Parvis, Ste-Hyacinthe, Canada
Galerie Serge Turgeon, Montreal, Canada
Exposition G. Delfosse, Mascouche, Canada
Complexe Guy Favreau, Montreal, Canada
1988-89 Galerie L. Bazinet, Montreal, Canada
1987 Église St-Eustache, St-Eustache, Canada
Galerie Signature, Montreal, Canada
1986 Laval Jewish Exhibition, Laval, Canada
1985 Auberge North Hatley, North Hatley, Canada
1984 La Chasse Galerie, Montreal, Canada

COLLECTIONS
Opsis Communications Paul Bourget inc.
Banque Nationale de Paris, Montreal Produits Forestiers Alliance, Montreal
Maxon, Montreal Publicité Martin inc.
Consultem, Montreal Collection du journal Le Nouvelliste, Trois-Rivières
ACEL, Ottawa Marouzin, Japan
Tours Mont-Royal, Montreal Chartrand & Chartrand, Montreal
S.I.T.Q. Desjardins Ducharme, Montreal
Ordre des Ingénieurs, Montreal Nortel

AWARDS
1993 Salon Biennal, Société National des Beaux-Arts, France
1989 3rd prize, Grand Prix Canadien Peinture
Artwork selected for an exhibition in New York
1987 2nd prize, Grand Prix Canadien Peinture

PUBLICATIONS
- Selection of an artwork to illustrate front page of the Reader's Digest in 1999
- Publication in the work intitled "Bâtisseur de rêves," tribute to Félix Leclerc
- Artworks chosen for covers of university books, Éditions Gaétan Morin
- "Côté jardin," in Magazin'Art, Montreal, no 4
- Guide Vallée, 1989 et 1993
- L. Bruens, Investir dans les oeuvres d'art, Éditions La Palette, Montreal, 1988