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Esther Calixte-Bea

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biography

Esther Calixte-Bea is a multidisciplinary artist of Ivorian and Haitian origin born in 1996 in Longueuil. She is also a body hair activist known as Queen Esther (formerly Queen Esie). Calixte-Bea completed a bachelor’s degree in painting and drawing at Concordia University (2020). Her work has been presented in Vie des Arts as well as in several media outlets, notably on CBC radio, La Fabrique Culturelle and TVA Nouvelles. Her photographic series entitled “Lavender Project” has been featured in Fashion Canada and Glamour UK, among others. She has also been part of several group exhibitions, including MAADI by Stanley Février, presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (2022). Imaginaire Souverain at the Maison de la Culture Janine-Sutto and Galerie Hugues Charbonneau (2022). Calixte-Bea presented her first solo exhibition Creation of an Ethereal World at La Centrale Gallery Powerhouse (2021) and her second in Chiguer Art Contemporain gallery (2023). The Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec has recently acquired one of her artworks (2024).

artist statement

Esther Calixte-Bea's practice develops through different art forms such as painting, drawing, photography, textiles, installation and writing. Through her work, she challenges Eurocentric beauty standards by addressing the taboo of female body hair. In her visual compositions, black female figures wear their body hair proudly rather than with shame. The hair becoming glorified on their bodies pays homage to her Ivorian tribe named Wè. The artist addresses themes of identity by inventing a fictitious ethnic group called Fyète-Souhou taking the word pride in Haitian Creole and the word divine in Guéré (Ivorian dialect). Calixte-Bea also addresses the theme of individuality by giving each figure a unique appearance through their elaborate hairstyle inspired by various pre-colonial African hairstyles, as well as the issue of vulnerability by creating a space for healing in her work. Calixte-Bea builds an inventive and color-filled world, often inspired by nature, her personal life and her cultural heritage. She paints female characters with acrylic paint and oil pastels, creating a world with a royal and futuristic appearance. She places great emphasis on hairstyles. Navigating through various mediums, she can also bring her figures to life by creating clothing, wigs and accessories that are displayed on mannequins in the exhibition space. In her self-photography work, the artist wears her own creations while highlighting her body hair. Finally, it is through writing and poetry that she tells the story of this ethnic group, illustrating their way of life.

 

Education

2016-2020

Concordia University

Undergraduate: Painting and Drawing

2014-2016

Dawson College

Visual Arts

2009-2014

Heritage Regional High School

FAF- Visual Arts

Solo Exhibition

2024

Welcome to the Garden, La Maison de la Culture Janine-Sutto, Montreal 

2023

To Be & To Belong, Chiguer Art Contemporain, Montreal

2021

Creation of an Ethereal World, La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse, Montreal

Group Exhibition

2024

Chlorophylle et Mélanine, Place du Marché Atwater, Montreal

2023
The 2023 Art Volt Collection, Le Livart, Montreal

We do not dream of labour, Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa

Hors-Piste Basculement, Atrium Métro Longueuil- Université Sherbrooke, Longueuil

 

2022 

Imaginaires Souverains, Maison de la culture Janine Sutto et Galerie Hugues Charbonneau, Montreal

J'habite le territoires, Maison de la Culture de Longueuil Marcel-Robidas, Longueuil

ARTCH, Dorchester Square, Montreal

Stanley Février's MAADI, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal

Art.Écran, Place de la Création, Montreal

Entre, La P'tite Porte, Montreal

Aynalem: L'oeil du monde, Centre d'Art Diane-Dufresne, Repentigny

Dos à Dos, Face à Face, Institut National Art Contemporain, Montreal

Vues d’Afrique-Rallye Expo : Union Urbaine, Boutique Espace Urbaine, Montreal

What is the Future of Canadian Afro Descendant Art, Black Wealth Club X Gallea Digital Exhibition, Montreal

2021

Af-Flux Biennale Transnationale Noire: Monde Bossale, Art Mûr, Montreal

Wall-to-Wall Mural & Culture Festival, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Wild Trails, Jano Lapin Gallery, Montreal

Opening a Dialogue, Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, Quebec City 

(collaboration with The Womanhood Project)

Musée d’Art Actuel Département des Invisibles (MAADI), Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil

2020
This is what Compels me to Compel them, Le Livart, Montreal

HUMA-I-N, Galerie Rad Hourani, Montreal 

New Legacies : Untangling the Collective Conscience (online exhibition), Repos Anxieux, Montreal
Black History Month Takeover, Concordia University EV Building, Montreal

2019
Vocation en Art, Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Saint-Hubert, Saint-Hubert
Reclaiming My Place (student exhibition), Warren G. Flowers Gallery, Montreal
Le Salon, Atelier 2112, Montreal
Body; Language, VAV Gallery, Montreal
L’Environment c’est Intersectionnelle, Librarie Racine 2.0, Montreal-Nord
SPACE Exhibition Perspectives, Warren G Flowers Gallery, Montreal

2018
Vocation en Art, Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Saint-Hubert, Saint-Hubert
SPACE Exhibition “En-tropy ”,Warren G Flowers Gallery, Montreal
26 ème édition du Salon des Arts Visuels, Centre Socioculturel Alphonse Lepage, Brossard
Vocation en Art 2nd part, Maison des Citoyens Saint-Hubert, Saint-Hubert

2017
Vocation en Art, Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Saint-Hubert, Saint-Hubert
25 ème édition du Salon des Arts Visuels, Centre Socioculturel Alphonse Lepage, Brossard
SPACE Exhibition “Glitch”, Warren G Flower Gallery , Montreal
Vocation en Art 2nd part, Mayson des Citoyens Saint-Hubert, Saint-Hubert

2016
Vocation en Art, Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Saint-Hubert, Saint-Hubert
The Global Art League, Montreal Art Center, Montreal
Apis (End of Year Exhibition), Warren G. Flowers Gallery, Dawson College,Montreal
SPACE Exhibition “Visions”, Warren G. Flowers Gallery, Dawson College, Montreal


2015
SPACE Exhibition “Trans”, Warren G. Flowers Gallery, Dawson College, Montreal

 

Grants
Conseils des Arts et Lettres du Québec, 2022
ARTCH Creation Grant, 2022
Conseils des Arts du Canada, 2021


Artist Residency
Développement de carrière à l’international, Artch x NYC Crit Club, 2023
Instagram Residency at L’Imagier, 2022

 

Awards
Visual Artist of the Year Finalist, Gala Dynastie, 2023
Salon Des Arts Visuels De Brossard 25 ème Edition “Jeune artiste prometteur” 2017
Vocation En Art Exhibition “Relève Jeune Artistes” 2016


Collections

Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec

The St. Claire Collection

Rad Hourani

Art Volt

Private


Auction
Parle moi d’amour- Les Impatients, 2023
Trait d’Union- Festival International du Film sur l’Art, 2022

Publication

The Trans-Exhibition, Edited By Mulvey Frank, Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery, Montreal, Catalogue de l’Exposition, Page 52, 2015, ISBN 978-1-55016-643-9

Visual Arts Graduating Class Apis 16, edited by Smith Stephanie, Meredith Colin J., Vu Caroline, Minh Le Tina Thu Ngo, Dawson College, Montreal, Catalogue de l’Exposition, page 16, 2016

Visions, edited by Mulvey Frank, Warren G. flower Art Gallery, Montreal, Catalogue de l’Exposition, page 80, 2016, ISBN 978-1-55016-996-6

Glitch, edited by Mulvey Frank and Beattie Amanda, Warren G. Flowers Gallery, Montreal, Catalogue de l’Exposition, page 12, 2016, ISBN 978-1-55016-325-4

Entropy, Edited By Beattie Amanda, Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery, Montreal, Exhibition Catalogue, Page 10, 2018, ISBN 978-1-55016-931-7

Perspectives, Watson Sarah, Warren G. Flowers Gallery, Montreal, Catalogue de l’Exposition, Page 14, 2019, ISBN 978-1-55016-798-6

Lalonde, Chloe " Lavender Project" Yiara magazine, 18 Mar 2020. p.24-25 PRINT https://issuu.com/raissapaes/docs/yiara_volume8

Zavaro, Adele. "Esther Calixte-Bea" L'Organe 'Periple', Mar 2020. p. 20 PRINT  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z1Z2BQqDJz2etpdVKz8RR4Almi_MWVoo/view?fbclid=IwAR3xyhfN4C7ssX7rTuQWm_-YjT05NXdwZQIFh-x55zYkaRnO7QZju08M6iA

 

Articles

Froundjian , Nanor. “Esther Calixte-Bea Addresses One of the Biggest Taboos: Female Body Hair: Special Issue.” The Link, 1 Oct. 2019, https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/esther-calixte-bea-addresses-one-of-the-biggest-taboos-female-body-hair

Mignacca , Franca G. “With a Lens on Body Hair, an Artist Challenges Notions of 'Normal' | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 26 Oct. 2019, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/photo-series-tackles-stigma-women-chest-hair-1.5336927

Picotte, Vanessa. "Elle défie les conventions et expose sa pilosité sur les réseaux sociaux" Le Courrier du Sud, 29 Jan, 2020, https://www.lecourrierdusud.ca/elle-defie-les-conventions-et-expose-sa-pilosite-sur-les-reseaux-sociaux/

Floud, Rebecca. " PRICKLY SUBJECT Women who’ve embraced Januhairy proudly show off their natural fuzz after ditching the razors for a month" The Sun. 29 Jan 2020. https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/10693776/women-ditch-razor-hairy-fuzz-januhairy-proud-snaps/

London, Bianca. "Women are defiantly ditching their razors and posting empowering #Januhairy snaps on social media" Glamour UK. 30 Jan 2020. https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/januhairy-campaign

Londo, Bianca. "'There's nothing wrong with me, there's something wrong with society': Meet the artist who powerfully displays her chest hair to bust beauty ideals" Glamour UK. 17 Feb 2020, https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/esther-calixte-bea-interview

Tv Interviews

Denis Lévesque . "Pas gênée de montrer la pilosité de sa poitrine" TVA Nouvelle. 28 Nov 2019. https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2019/11/28/elle-ne-se-gene-pas-pour-montrer-sa-pilosite-de-poitrine

Studio Direct. "Esther Calixte-Béa, artiste, photographe et étudiante" TVRS. 13 Feb 2020. http://www.tvrs.ca/emissions/studio-direct/sur-demande?show=29151

 
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