TIAN Contemporain is pleased to present Interpolated, a group exhibition featuring the works of Montreal-based artists, Roxane Fiore, Sarah Bertrand-Hamel, and Jeanette Johns. Their practices delve into the mutable nature of materials, the shifting boundaries between reality and illusion, and the spaces — both physical and conceptual — that emerge from this constant flux.

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Working primarily with paper, a medium inherently tied to evolution and adaptation, the artists explore its capacity for renewal and reconfiguration. Bertrand-Hamel’s focus on organic processes and her meticulous papermaking techniques encourages us to reconsider the medium as a fluid living entity, rather than a static material. Her work embodies the delicate balance between structure and formlessness, prompting reflection on the cycles of growth and decay. Building on this notion of fluidity, Fiore’s pastel drawings, derived from her paper assemblages, create shifting, illusory spaces that challenge our grasp of reality. The deconstruction/reconstruction dialectic within her process allows her to play with paradoxes and navigate between logic and illogic, comfort and discomfort, natural and artificial. Through a distinct yet interconnected practice, Johns delves into the mutability of perception itself. Her work in drawing, photography, and etching approaches this idea through the lens of observation and the science of representation. Her exploration of print and space reveals the dynamic interaction between the observer and the observed, showing how perception is continuously shaped by context. Whether through drawing, plant fibers, or print, the artists collectively invite us to challenge the limits of perception and reconsider the boundaries between the real and the imagined, the tangible and the abstract. 

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

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Roxane Fiore (b. 1993) obtained her bachelor’s degree in Painting and Drawing from Concordia University in 2018, where she was awarded the Lise-Hélène Larin Drawing Scholarship. Her works have been exhibited in various group exhibitions, including at TIAN Contemporain and Artch. Her artworks are part of multiple private collections across Canada.

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Sarah Bertrand-Hamel (b. 1981) holds a Master in Fine Arts from Concordia University (2014). In 2017, she was the first prize winner of the Valcellina Award (Italy) and of the Paper in Particular annual exhibition (United States). Her work has been exhibited in Canada and internationally, recently in Japan where she also studied Japanese papermaking as part of two artist residencies. Her works are featured in public and private collections, including the Museo national de la cerámica (Mexico), Loto-Québec and Cirque du Soleil.

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Jeanette Johns (b. 1983) holds a BFA in Printmaking from the University of Manitoba, and an MFA in Studio Arts (Print Media concentration) from Concordia University. She participated in many production and creation residencies, in Canada, the USA and Finland. In 2016, she published the artist book With Sufficient Distance, printed in risograph by Parameter Press. Her works are found in the collections of: Fidelity Investments Art Collection, The Crown Collection, Rideau Hall, Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec, Toronto Dominion Bank, Manitoba Arts Branch, Atelier Graff Archives, Manitoba Hydro art collection, and Open Studio Archives, Toronto.