Jean-François Roy

A Montreal-based artist with a transdisciplinary practice, Jean-François Roy explores the points of convergence between sculpture and drawing, with a predilection for the ontology of the fold as a constitutive principle of matter, form, and space. With an initial background in architecture from McGill University, he subsequently theorized and deepened the plastic potential of folding during his Master of Arts at UQAM. His current body of work revolves around a variety of devices, ranging from bas-relief to monumental installation, including sculpture and compositions on paper.

At the heart of his approach lies an investigation of the parametric and iterative dimensions of the fold. Conceived as a true formal lexicon, it allows the artist to interrogate the three-dimensional possibilities of flat materials, where the surface grows in complexity without rupture. Under the action of gesture, matter transcends its primary role as support to become both object and subject of creation. The fold then asserts itself as an organizing principle: it generates volume without addition, through the simple modulation of a plane, simultaneously producing structure and spatiality.

Jean-François Roy’s works establish a tension between structural strength and the intrinsic vulnerability of certain materials, capturing light to create a rhythm made of nuances and contrasts. The fold manifests there as a sensory and bodily experience, taking shape in the dynamic relationship between work, light, and viewer.