Born in France, Géraldine Petit-Gras grew up watching explorer and conservationist Jacques-Yves Cousteau. As he unraveled the mysteries of the sea, he also drew attention to the interconnection of species and the necessity of protecting the fragile balance that regulates every natural ecosystem. She spent most of her summers gathering shells on the beaches of La Rochelle and Biarritz and sailing along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, witnessing firsthand the deterioration of these natural habitats.
As an environmental artist, her body of work reflects her concerns about what humankind is doing to the Earth and consequently to itself. The delicate and serene qualities of her porcelain pieces evoke both the beauty and fragility of nature. Using marine imagery, the birthplace of living organisms, she draws attention to sustainable development as the only way to ensure the survival of our species.
The pandemic in early 2020 forced her to pivot from a community-based ceramics studio to a home painting studio. She organically chose to use watercolors on canvas.
er intent is to engage the viewer in rekindling and nurturing their relationship with nature.
A graduate of the Ottawa School of Art, she was awarded their first artist residency in 2014. She has shown her work in various juried exhibitions, including at the Canadian Museum of Nature (Ottawa, ON), the Galerie des 100 Talents (Montreal, QC), the Montebello Arts Centre (Montebello, QC), and the City of Ottawa Atrium and Trinity Galleries. Her award-winning artwork (which includes a grant from the Ontario Arts Council) can be found in private collections in Canada, France, and Australia.
Géraldine Petit-Gras lives in Ottawa (ON).