Catherine Canac-Marquis

Catherine Canac-Marquis is an emerging photographer and visual artist based in Montreal. After pursuing studies in graphic design at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), she received a BFA in Photography with Distinction from Concordia University. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions within the provinces of Quebec and Ontario in Canada, and has been published both nationally and abroad. She is a recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including the AIMIA | AGO Photography Prize Scholarship and The Magenta Foundation’s 2017 Flash Forward Award. In 2017, she will be artist-in-residence at SÍM Residency in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The Migratory Birds

My work addresses the notion of isolation, focusing on the concept of insularity and themes that relate to isolated communities and territories. I am primarily interested by the particularity of islands in comparison with mainland territories as well as raising issues regarding human development as an insular experience. Since 2015, I’ve been documenting the stories of islanders, mainly around the islands of the St. Lawrence River in Canada, such as the Île au Ruau and L’Isle-aux-Grues.

The Migratory Birds is a series produced in the small community of L’Isle-aux-Grues during the hunting season. The island is an important site for migratory birds which attract numerous hunters from all over the province during the fall. The work unfolds through a seasonally based journey. Revealing quietness, a parallel with the nature of islands, which sometimes suggest places of meditation where time is suspended.

To view more of Catherine’s work please visit her website.