David Altmejd

Altmejd is himself a rare bird. Six years after graduating with a master’s in fine arts from Columbia University, the Montreal artist has soared fast and far in the international art scene. After numerous high-profile shows in New York, he was picked up by the prestigious Andrea Rosen Gallery and has now landed on one of modern art’s highest branches: representing Canada at the top art show in the world…

The University 2, 2004. Wood, paint, plaster, resin, mirrored glass, Plexiglas, wire, glue, plastic, cloth, synthetic hair, jewelry, glitter, minerals, paper, beads, synthetic flowers, electricity, and lightbulbs…

Works and biography

"A lot of people think that I’m really fascinated by death and morbidity, but I’m much more interested in life. I just think that things look more alive when they’re growing on top of what’s dead"

David Altmejd’s sculptural installations draw the viewer into the interior labyrinths of the subconscious. His deceptively realistic sculptures and dramatic stage sets, evoking gothic altars, archaeological museum displays, and architectural models, give an uncanny materiality to the primal narratives they evoke…