Jean Labourdette

Montreal, Canada

Jean Labourdette is somewhat obsessed with Victorian-looking midgets sporting dandy facial hair, Russian icons, dead things of all sorts, carnival sideshows and seedy vermin-infested theatre stages. Technically, his paintings are reminiscent of the 15th century Flemish Primitives.
He has forged a unique artistic vision and signature aesthetic over years of compulsive creation. In the late eighties he began his journey on the streets of Paris as a graffiti artist (he is aka Turf One) renowned for his distinctive and surreal characters. Over the years, Jean evolved into a prolific and sought-after multidisciplinary artist working as an illustrator, comic artist, filmmaker and painter. Today, he spends most of his time painting in a messy studio that Bacon would have been proud of, sipping on espressos and wine and talking to himself.

His most current work is lauded for his hyper-realistically rendered works of poetically odd characters, meticulously painted trope l’oeil skulls and birds, and loving and sympathetic portraits of dogs, often ensconced in reliquary inspired frames- adding a dimension of reverence and appreciation for things we often pass by in the mundane world.

Please contact us to find out about upcoming shows, availability of current work, and commissions.

Examples of works: