Giuseppe Di Leo
You have reached the portfolio and archive of artist Giuseppe Di Leo.
The mobile view is under construction.
In the mean time, you are invited to view his work on your desktop or laptop.
Artist statement
“Drawing, notably continues to be significant to my form of expression. It is a romantic endeavour; a form of escape that is transcendental in nature. Once I am confined within its parameters I am entangled within that world. Drawing is the lens par excellence enabling me to see more profoundly and record intimately the extend of the human ordeal.
This modality of art making gives shape to my experiences, and underscores the principles and values I consider essential. The drawings are existential portraits and a probe to record and conger vivid expressions of an imagined and complex world. It affords me a space to wander intuitively, to be curious, to question and challenge what I see and understand, and strangely enough, to reflect more profoundly. A means of disclosure and reminder of what it means to be human.
Throughout my practice the human figure continues to be central. I situate it as an emblem measuring my implication in the human condition. In particular I envision the body dualistically with the potential to be simultaneously a victim and / or a violator. This notion among others, draws attention to the notion of “twins” as an ideological, political, and social construct representing the sacred and profane. Through the sensitive application of the graphite medium, I hope to convey the essence of this experience more profoundly.
Truthful recording; faithful rendering has been the preferred method of drawing for the better part of my career because it affords me the time to stay focused amidst distractions inherent in routine of living. This model, as a work ethic, involves a harsh process of concentration; it is time consuming, it is meditative, it is intimate, spiritual, unsettling, orderly and disorderly, an exorcism of sorts, evocative and deeply satisfying, if and only when it comes to fruition.”
Giuseppe Di Leo
Biography
Born in Italy, Giuseppe Di Leo received an Honour’s BFA from Concordia University in 1978 and shortly after completed a Master’s degree at York University, Toronto where he held his first solo exhibition at the Oakville and Gairloch Galleries, Ont. in 1980. Throughout his career, Di Leo has maintained a practice in drawing and watercolour and has participated in a number of exhibitions held in cultural institutions and private galleries in Canada, Italy, and Mexico. His drawings have been reviewed in various publications, and are featured in both museum and corporate collections including Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Loto-Quebec, Canada Council Art Bank, Collection Prêts d'oeuvres d'arts du Musée du Québec, Ministère des Communautés Culturelles et del'Immigration, Qué., Museo Civico d’Arte Contemporanea, Casacalenda, Italy. Over the last decade concurrent to his practice and teaching, he has been active as Director and curator of the Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery at Dawson College.
Important exhibition projects have included various solo and group exhibitions, at McBride Gallery, Mtl., Waddington and Gorce, Mtl; Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ont.; Musée d’Art Contemporain des Laurentides, Qué; Musée du Québec; Justina Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto; Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, Palermo, Italy; Kalenarte, Casacalenda, Italy; Museo de las Bellas Artes, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Education
1978-80
MFA, Visual Arts York University, Toronto, ON
1975–78
BFA, Visual Arts, Concordia University, Montréal, QC
1973–75
D.E.C., Collège Dawson — Montréal, QC
Solo exhibitions
2024
Pilgrimage; Seeking Connection, Cline House Gallery — Cornwall, ON
2018
Disegno, McBride Contemporain — Montréal, QC
2004
When Words Fail, Instituto Magistrale John F Kennedy — Drawing Installation at Terra Tremante, Kalenarte, Museo all’aperto d’Arte Contemporanea — Casacalenda, Molise, Italy
1998
The Sacred and the Prosaic, Galerie Waddington et Gorce — Montréal, QC
1997
Botanikos, Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto — ON
1996
Galerie Arts Sutton — Sutton, QC
1994
Galerie de l’Université de Sherbrooke — Sherbrooke, QC
1993
hortus (en) conclusus, Vieux-Palais — Saint-Jérôme, QC
1992
CRIM (Centre de Recherche de Informatique de Montréal) — Montréal, QC
1990
New Drawings, Quan Schieder Gallery — Toronto, ON
1989
Via Erebus, Art Gallery of Hamilton — Hamilton, ON
Last Days of Pompei, Galerie Waddington et Gorce — Montréal, QC
1984
Gallery Quan — Toronto, ON
1982
Galerie Port-Maurice — St. Leonard, QC
1980
A Matter of Tradition, Samuel Zacks Gallery, York University — Toronto, ON
Group Exhibitions, selected
2024
Éphémères imaginaires, Galerie Montcalm de Arts, Cultures, et lettres —Ville de Gatineau, QC
2023
Annual Juried Exhibition, Cline House Gallery — Cornwall, ON
Éphémères imaginaires, Maison de la culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce —Botrel, Montréal
14th Annual Drawing Discourse, S. Tucker Gallery, University of North Carolina — Asheville, US
2022
Flowers, Trees, & Roots: The Wild World of Plants, View Center for Arts and Culture — Old Forge, NY
The Figure, Site:Brooklyn — Brooklyn, NY
Art sur Papier 22, Galerie Erga — Montréal, QC
Drawing 2022, John B. Aird Gallery — Toronto, ON
2021
Résilience - Biennale du Dessin, Musée des beaux arts Mont-Ste-Hillaire, QC
Terre-Mere en150 revolutions, Musée des beaux arts Mont-Ste-Hillaire, QC
Art sur Papier 21, Galerie Erga — Montréal, QC
150 variations du confinement, Musée des beaux arts Mont-Ste-Hillaire, QC
2020
Salons des refuses, Galerie McBride Contemporain — Montréal, QC
Dog Days, John B. Aird Gallery — Toronto, ON
2019
Les Mondes de Katia Makdissi-Warren, Maison de la Culture Ahuntsic — Montréal, QC
Drawing 2019, John B. Aird Gallery — Toronto, ON
Group Exhibitions, selected
2018
Uncommon, John B. Aird Gallery — Toronto, ON
Vu Deja, Gianni Giuliani, Erga Gallery — Montréal, QC
Le temps d’Evangelista, Maison de la Culture Cote des Nieges — QC
Biennale 13, Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery — Montreal, QC
2017
Des lignes, du temps, Fondation Guido Molinari — Montréal, QC
2016
Biennale 12, Warren G. Flowers Art Gallery — Montréal, QC
Musique vue, Maison de la Culture Cote des Nieges — Montréal, QC
2009
A Drawing Show, St. Thomas of Elgin Public Art Centre — St Thomas, ON
As much as possible given the amount of space allotted, Gallerie d’Art Leonard and Bina Ellen — Montréal, QC
2008
Le College comme lieu de creation 2007, Maison de la culture Notre Dame de Grace — Montréal, QC
2007
Conflux / Seeing Apart, St. Thomas of Elgin Public Art Centre — ON
Oeuvres choisies de la collection Loto-Québec, Centre Culturel de Drummondville — Drummondville, QC
2006
Musée de Charlevoix — Malbaie, QC
Nature recherchée: Morte ou vivante / Nature wanted: Dead or alive!, Stewart Hall Art Gallery — Pointe Claire, QC
2005
Darrell Bell Gallery Contemporary Art — Saskatoon, SK
2003
Volia!, Museo de las Bellas Artes de l’Université de Guadalajara — Mexico
2002
La Figuration 1980–2000, Maison de la Culture de Trois-Rivières — QC
La figuration en art contemporain, Galerie d’art L’Union-Vie du Centre Culturel de Drummondville — QC
2000
FIGURE AND LANDSCAPE, Museé Ville St Laurent — St Laurent, QC
Una Cartolina per la Pace, Olimpalus 93’ — Latina, Italy
1999
All’origini della memoria, Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, Spatio Durcot — Palermo, Italy
Rencontre lX, Maison des Arts et de la Culture — Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC
1998
Points, Lignes, Surfaces; 20 Ans, Galerie Madelaine Lacerte — Montréal, QC
1993
New Acquisitions, Bina and Leonard Ellen Art Gallery — Montréal, QC
1992
La décennie de la métamorphose 1982-1992, Musée du Québec — QC
1990
Mimesis, Musée Marsil — St. Lambert, QC
Mimesis Biz, Centre Culturel St. Hyacinthe — QC
1987
La collection prêt d’oeuvres d’art, Musée du Québec — QC
1985
Re-Union, York University Art Galleries — Toronto, ON
1984
Tout l’art du monde, Galerie d’art UQAM — Montréal, QC
travelled to Complex G — QC; Université de Sherbrooke — QC
Centre de Exposition de Gatineau; de Mont Laurier; de Drummond — QC
La collection prêt d’oeuvres d’art, Musée du Québec — QC
Bibliography
ANTAKI, Karen, and DI LEO, Giuseppe. Botanikos / ego receiver.
Exhibition catalogue (Dawson College: Montréal, October 1997)
BEATTIE, Amanda. The Beauty of the Unknown: Giuseppe Di Leo.
Accenti, (Montréal, January 2019)
BIFARELI, Gian Carlo. “The Sacred and the Prosaic.”
CFMB Radio Interview (Montréal, November 1998)
BENEDETTI, Paul. “Ambiguity highlights stunning pencil drawings.”
Hamilton Spectator (Hamilton, January 1990)
CARLEVARIS, Anna. Giuseppe Di Leo—Drawing from Life.
Accenti, (Montréal, March 2011)
CARPENTER, Ken. Diversity.
Conference paper (Institute of Canadian Studies: Sidney, Australia, July 1998)
CRON, Marie Michèle. “Sismographes de fin de siècle.”
Le Devoir (Montréal, January 1992)
DUNCAN, Ann. “The Last Days of Pompeii.”
The Gazette (Montréal, June 3, 1989)
FOSS, Brian and LAMARCHE, France. Mimesis.
Exhibition catalogue (St. Lambert, Musée Marsil, 1990)
GOLDENBERG, Janice. “Prolific Alumni...”
Excalibur (York University: Toronto, October 24, 1985)
KRAUSZ, Peter. Recent Concerns in Canadian Drawing.
Conference paper (Dept of External Affairs: Canada, 1986)
LYNCH, Rita. Mimesis.
Courir Mag Edition Expansion, Vol. 18 (St. Lambert, March 11, 1990)
LAPAGE, Jocelyne. “Le post modernisme au Musée duQuébec...”
La Presse (Montréal, February 1, 1992)
LEBLANC, Victoria. Éphémère imaginaires.
Exhibition catalogue (Maison de la culture NDG: Montréal, Janvier 2023)
MARA, Liana. “Il sacro ed il prosaico….”
MAYS, John Bentley. “Probing the artistic process.”
The Globe and Mail (Toronto, November 17, 1983)
MCLUHAN, Elizabeth. Re-Union.
Exhibition catalogue (Art Gallery of York University: Toronto, 1985)
MERCIER, Guy. La décennie de la metamorphose 1982-1992.
Exhibition catalogue (Musée du Québec: Québec, January 1992)
MUSÉE DU QUÉBEC. L’amourdans l’art.
Agenda d’art 1998 (Québec, September, 1997)
MOLTER, Michael. and GORDON, Russell T. Points. Lines,Surfaces, 20 Years.
Exhibition catalogue (Concordia University: Montreal, September 1998)
PRINGLE, Allan. Tables are for turning.
ETC Montréal, no.7 (Montréal, Spring 1989)
PRINGLE, Allan. From Niagra to Aporia.
ETC Montréal, no. 9 (Montréal, Autumn 1989)
PURDIE, James. “Gallery Reviews.”
The Globe and Mail (Toronto, July 21, 1979)
TAILLEFER, Hélène and FOSS, Brian. Via Erebus.
Exhibition catalogue (Art Gallery of Hamilton: Hamilton, November 1989)
TREMBLAY, Régis. La décennie changeante de l'art post-moderne.
Le Soliel (Québec, Janvier 31, 1992)
VALLIANT, Lois. hortus (en) conclusus.
Exhibition catalogue (Vieux Palais: St.-Jerome, June 1993)
VAN HOOF, Marine. Un art hallucinogène?
Vie des Arts, no. 173 (Montréal, 1999)
Public collections
Art Gallery of Hamilton
Banque d'oeuvres d'art du Conseil des Arts du Canada / Canada Council Art Bank
Collection Prêts d'oeuvres d'arts du Musée du Québec
Imperial Oil
Micropak Marketing — Toronto
Loto Québec
Ministère des commnautés culturelles et de l'Immigration — QC
Ville de Saint Léonard — QC
Concordia University — QC
P.D. Communications Inc. — QC
Chesterton, USA
Viable Power Conversion — Dorval, QC
Museo Civico d’Arte Contemporanea — Casacalenda, Italy
St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre — ON
Collections Privées / Private Collectionsaada, USA, Italy
Awards
2023
Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec, Bourse de creation / Arts visuels
2021
Prix d’excellence, Musée des beaux arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire
2020
Best in Show, John B. Aird Gallery
2018
Professional Development Grant, Concordia University
2004
Professional Development Grant, Concordia University
2002
Teaching Excellence Award, Dawson College
1999
Conseil des arts du Canada, Travel Grant Canada Council
1998
Professional Development Fund, CUPFA Concordia University
1996
Professional Development Fund, CUPFA Concordia University
1988
Bourse Elizabeth Greenshields Grant
1985
Bourse Elizabeth Greenshields Grant
1980
Ontario Arts Council Grant
1979
Teaching Assistantship Grant, York University
1975
N.C.I.C. Foundation Award
