Denise Buisman Pilger waves goodbye to Montréal in a final exhibition at Viva Vida Art Gallery

April 1 2017

Photo: Courtesy Denise Buisman Pilger Nedia El Khouri and Denise Buisman Pilger.

Photo: Courtesy Denise Buisman Pilger
Nedia El Khouri and Denise Buisman Pilger.

Au revoir Montréal, Konnichiwa Japan! After calling Montréal home for eight years, the time has come for Dutch artist Denise Buisman Pilger to say Au Revoir. In June the artist will pack up her studio for an international move to Nagoya, Japan. To give the artist a proper send off, Viva Vida Art Gallery located on 278 Lakeshore Road in the Pointe Claire Village, presents “Departure”, a visual summary of works created by the artist in the time she has spent in our beautiful city. The exhibition runs from April 7 to 20, with the Vernissage on Friday, April 7 from 7 to 10 p.m.

“After eight years Montréal has become home to me so I am definitely sad that I will have to say goodbye to this amazing city and all the awesome friends that I’ve made here. But I am also excited to step into this new adventure! I am looking forward to exploring a whole new culture, meeting new amazing people and immersing myself in Japanese art, architecture, techniques and materials. I have never been to Asia so there’s going to be a culture shock for sure,” says Buisman Pilger

Having worked together since 2010, “Departure” will be Buisman Pilger’s fifth and final solo exhibition at Viva Vida Art Gallery. As opposed to previous exhibitions, which all focused on individual bodies of work, this ‘salon style show’ features a variety of works. This provides a unique opportunity to get an insight into both the artist’s development over the past eight years, and the influence our city has had on her artistic language.

“Denise Buisman Pilger is a very talented artist who has a great future in the art world. We would like to encourage everyone to take this final opportunity to view Buisman Pilger’s prolific artwork and to see a culmination of the works completed during her time in Montreal. In addition, this exhibition stands as a celebration of a wonderful collaboration between Viva Vida and the artist. We invite everyone to come meet Denise in person, and join us in bidding her an au revoir and farewell,” says Gallery Director Nedia El Khouri

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Buisman Pilger has a Bachelors Degree in Illustration from the Willem de Kooning Academy of Arts in Rotterdam. She has proudly exhibited her work at the 2011 Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux- Arts at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, the Artist Project and the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. Her work can be found in galleries in Montréal, Ottawa and Toronto.

“I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to share my work with the wonderful people of Montréal one last time. Montréal has been very good to me and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I really hope everyone will join us for the Venissage at Viva Vida Art Gallery on April 7th from 7 to 10 p.m. so I have a chance to thank you all for making this city feel like home,” adds Buisman Pilger

Departure: a visual summary of works by Denise Buisman Pilger, at Viva Vida Art Gallery, 278-2 Lakeshore Road, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, April 7 – 20.

Monday: by appointment only | Tuesday to Thursday: 10am - 5pm; Friday: 10am – 8pm; Saturday: 10am – 5pm; Sunday: 12 - 5pm (open to the public)