Collection: Marianne Pon-Layus

Based in Montreal, Marianne Pon-Layus is interested in the representation of power dynamics and stereotypes in the construction of identity. She holds a Master’s degree in Visual and Media Arts from UQAM (2012). 

Her artistic journey began with self-representation, through several solo exhibitions in Quebec, notably at Galerie B-312, Maison de la culture Frontenac, and Galerie d’art d’Outremont.

She later developed a darker aesthetic, inspired by figures from horror and B movies, which she presented at La Maison des artistes visuels francophones in Winnipeg, the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, and the McClure Gallery.

Since 2020, she has been deepening a painting practice based on diluted pigments on raw canvas and watercolor paper, centered on powerful and ambivalent female figures. This research has unfolded through artist residencies in Quebec, Sweden, and Belgium.

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Marianne Pon-Layus investigates the interplay of power and the impact of stereotypes on the formation of identity. Her work examines how people who identify as women are perceived and represented, and how these perceptions shape their place in the world.

She focuses on female figures, real or imagined, fully in command of their presence. Drawing from a wide range of imagery, including champions, superheroes, and goddesses, Marianne Pon-Layus creates works that weave strength and vulnerability.

In her current practice, Marianne Pon-Layus uses acrylic paint diluted with medium on canvas prepared with transparent gesso, allowing the canvas’s true color to show through. By balancing discipline and spontaneity, she plays with contrasts to produce visually compelling images while exploring how appearance shapes self-conception.