jean-pierre sauvé

Jean-Pierre Sauvé, born in Montreal (Quebec) in 1945, has been a printmaker for over twenty years. A graduate in arts from Collège Saint-Laurent with additional studies in anthropology at the Université de Montréal, he blends cultural sensitivity with technical mastery. A founding member of Atelier Circulaire, he has played a significant role in advancing printmaking in Quebec. His work, shown in Quebec and abroad, employs centuries-old techniques from the 15th century: etching, aquatint, mezzotint, burin, and drypoint, often in combination. He describes etching as a balance between precision and the unexpected: drawing into varnish, letting acid bite the metal, then welcoming “the angel over the shoulder” when printing on fine paper. His prints, held in major collections including the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec and the National Library of Canada, reflect both formal rigor and an openness to experimentation.