“Éclat cosmique”

A painter and muralist of Abenaki descent, Rita Letendre is a towering figure in abstract art. Associated with the Automatist movement in her early career, she forged a unique path defined by an unceasing quest for light and energy, establishing herself as one of the most powerful artists of her generation in North America.

Letendre’s philosophy is rooted in the idea that light is a vital, almost warrior-like force. For her, art must not merely represent space; it must pierce through it. Her aesthetic evolved from emotional introspection (automatism) toward a geometric expression of speed and tension. She sought to capture the moment when light bursts forth from darkness, symbolizing a will to overcome adversity.

In the 1960s and 1970s, she adopted the airbrush and created her famous compositions of bands of color in the shape of arrows or rays, which seem to tear through the canvas with mathematical precision.

As a woman of Indigenous descent excelling in the most radical abstraction, she shattered numerous glass ceilings in the art world. She lived and exhibited in Paris, Rome, New York, and Los Angeles, bringing Canadian abstraction to the global stage. A Companion of the Order of Canada and recipient of the Paul-Émile-Borduas Award (2016), she leaves behind a body of work that remains a symbol of resilience and brilliance.