JOHANNE CORNO - PROFILE

Johanne Corno studied at the University of Quebec in Montreal where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art turning to a full time painting career in her early 20s. Her first representation was at the Clarence Gagnon Gallery in Montreal.

By the late 1980s, she had become the darling of Montreal collectors and the most sought-after living Quebec artist. Her reputation was quickly growing across Canada with shows in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. She was the featured artist at the Quebec Pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver which propelled her visibility to new heights. During this period and into the early 90s, she was represented by Yves Laroche Gallery and was well on her way to being one of the most well-respected Canadian artists.

With a strong market in Canada, Corno turned to the US with shows at the Morgan Gallery in Boston and San Diego State University. But New York City was an irresistible magnet, so she moved there in 1992 and participated in a variety of group shows and art events. This was just the start. Following in the footsteps of famous artists like Georgia O’Keefe and Salvador Dali, Corno was the featured artist at the prestigious Steuben Glass Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City.

The new millennium brought Corno to Opera Gallery in Soho which enthusiastically began representing her work worldwide. In just a few years, she became their best-selling artist. Her work is on permanent display in their prestigious locations in New York, Paris, London, Miami, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul and Venice. Soon they will be in Dbai, Monaco and Geneva.

Corno’s international success is phenomenal. Playing a balancing act of high energy dichotomies, her new expressionist style contrasts her figurative details and has a bold contemporary resonance of universal appeal. Recognized as a superlative colorist with intense textures, her brush strokes tickle the eye and stimulate the imagination.

The year 2008 seems to be marking a new turning point in Corno’s career. In January, she had a solo exhibition with Opera Gallery in Hong Kong which sold out almost instantly. In May, she had a show with Moz in Paris, and in the fall, the spotlight will turn to New York. There is no end to the frenzy of scheduling.

Other exhibits include the elegant Left Coast Gallery in Los Angeles in October 2006, where her works are now on permanent display.