Heidi Taillefer

Heidi Taillefer lives and works in Montreal, Quebec. She began drawing at the age of three. During a decade of private art lessons as a child, she developed strong skills in watercolor. Self-taught in oils and acrylics, her style is strongly influenced by surrealism, combined with a keen interest in technology and biology. By the mid-80's her work took on the markings of this obsession with technological development throughout society her imagery reflects what is now widely recognized as a growing hybridization of humanity with technology.

Originally depicting subjects as machines placed in natural settings, her work acts as a nostalgic embrace of the past, through the lens of a culture racing forward at with technological advancements. While outpacing the evolution of our bodies and minds, Taillefer's work examines the fact that a merger with technology does not insulate us from fundamental aspects of the human condition.

While pursuing a degree in Humanistic studies at McGill University, Taillefer's studied classics, which continues to inform her work with many mythological and cultural references in her paintings. Her art resembles some early 20th century surrealists such as Max Ernst, Paul Delvaux, and Giorgio de Chirico. Through the depiction of disparate mechanical assemblies conveying a universal idea, to the appropriation of meaning to objects which highlight subconscious preoccupations, or an exploration of the metaphysical as a dream-like parallel to this world, Taillefer brings a contemporary spin to classical icons.

Her work has been collected internationally, and she continues to exhibit in gallery and museum venues in North America while undertaking high visibility art projects with such companies as the Cirque du Soleil and Infiniti car company (Canada and Taiwan).