Ink is an uncompromising medium. Applied to paper, its fluidity allows for a breadth and speed of execution that no other paint offers: it glides, flows, splashes, without resistance—far removed from the density of oil. It thus combines absolute contrast with freedom of gesture.
For more than twenty-five years, Fred Jourdain has been working with ink and has set himself the challenge of dancing with it on paper.
Observing the movements of Meï Thongsoume and William Legault-Tessier, he sought to translate their passion into pictorial gestures, transforming the brush into a dancing body. Fred conceives of his artistic practice as a field of formal and narrative exploration, and with this series of works, the primary aim was to transpose the emotions and movements of the performers into the most dynamic still images possible. Without much conscious thought, a narrative thread nevertheless emerged across the various paintings, lending them a surprising coherence.
"Initially, all I wanted to do was create a visually vibrant series inspired by the movements of William and Mei, in black and white. I wanted to continue what I had started with MOD, but spontaneously I decided to paint with colored inks instead. I liked the result and continued in that direction. As I created the paintings, I noticed a theme of suspension and weightlessness emerging, and I created most of the works at the same time as NASA's Artemis 2 mission. I don't know if it influenced my work, but it certainly gave me a different perspective on it, and I named them accordingly!""
— these are the Fred Jourdain
"Towards the end of my creative period, I decided to return to black ink to paint some works in black and white in order to create a kind of bridge between MOD and Muses En Fugue. I really like this idea of continuity between these two series and when people enter the exhibition, it is the black and white works that open the show; they are more grounded, and then the colors come in and weightlessness sets in!"
- Fred Jourdain
This collection is presented at La Maison Pour La Danse De Québec from April 23 to May 28, 2026. The opening reception takes place from 5 to 7 on Thursday, April 23 and is open to the public.
The series will also be presented in Montreal from June 1st to October 1st, 2026 at Brasserie Helm, on Bernard in Mile End.
Photo credits: Hoby Ratsimbazafy, David Cannon & Edgar Fritz
Performers and models Mei Thongsoume and William Legault-Tessier
