Tag: Contemporary art

Exhibition view of Denis Leclerc’s artwork at NFT(s); Passages at the Ottawa Art Gallery, featuring digital prints and a large-scale piece displayed on a white gallery wall.

NFT(s): Passages

Posted on | by Denis

Exhibition Dates

Sept 7 — Oct 6 · 2024

Location

Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG)

About the Exhibition NFT(s): Passages

Why NFTs?

The rise in popularity of NFTs has revolutionized the art world. As a result, they now offer novel ways to engage with and collaborate on digital creations. NFTs are ushering us into Web 3.0—a democratized era for digital art that empowers both artists and collectors.

Featured Artists

This groundbreaking exhibition showcases eight talented francophone artists who have ventured into the NFT space for the first time, transforming their physical works into captivating digital pieces:

  • Audrey Bazinet alias Bazaud
  • Jacques Descoteaux
  • Carole Ince alias MetaCarpe
  • Krasimira Dimtchevska alias KrasiDi
  • Denis Leclerc alias Egoklaar
  • Nathalie Frenière alias Mekeba
  • Fred Forest
  • Gaïa Orion alias Gaïa

Denis Leclerc’s Contribution

Denis Leclerc, alias Egoklaar, presents a two-part installation exploring the poetic tension between digital gesture and collective memory. A grid of intimate, small-format digital prints sits beside a bold, large-scale piece—together creating a dialogue between stillness and movement, trace and transformation.

Highlights of NFT(s): Passages

One of the major highlights is the MilkMaid series, a reinterpretation of Vermeer’s famous artwork, reinvented as an NFT. This series not only pays homage to the classic but also adds a modern digital twist, making it a must-see!

Organizers and Contributors

Organized by the Bureau des regroupements des artistes visuels de l’Ontario (BRAVO) and developed by Yves M. Larocque, the exhibition boasts contributions from a dedicated team:

  • Curatorial Assistance: Cătălin Ivan, Meghan Ho
  • Translation and Editing: Dominique Leduc, Véronique Couillard, Rebecca Basciano
  • Design: Sophie Nakashima
  • Technical Team: Dan Austin, Rob Keefe, Mark Garland, Jennifer Gilliland, Stephanie Germano

This exhibition is presented by the Ottawa Art Gallery in partnership with BRAVO. We acknowledge the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, and the French Embassy in Canada. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

Related Events and Additional Resources

Stay tuned for related events, workshops, and panel discussions that will further explore the world of NFTs and digital art. More details will be available soon.

Call to Action

Immerse yourself in the future of art. Explore NFTs at the Ottawa Art Gallery and join us in celebrating this exciting transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0!

NFT(s): Passages Ottawa Art Gallery is a landmark exhibition for francophone digital artists, bridging the physical and virtual worlds in a collective NFT debut.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Framed digital artwork titled Digital Fragments 417 by Denis Leclerc. Abstract tubular forms in layered gray and ivory tones, slightly blurred and textured, emerging from a pale background with a soft gradient. Part of the Ethereal Solid series.

Digital Fragments 417

Posted on | by Denis

Digital Fragments 417

Explore a New Palette

Digital Fragments 417 is part of the Ethereal Solid series by Denis Leclerc. It introduces a new direction in the collection. Earlier pieces used warm tones. They often resembled light, skin, or sand. In contrast, this work shifts to a grayscale palette built around charcoal, slate, and silver. As a result, it brings a colder atmosphere—but one filled with depth and quiet tension.

Why Gray Matters

This new color choice is deliberate. While many see gray as neutral or dull, it actually carries emotional weight. It feels quiet, yet expressive. In this piece, gray becomes a space for contrast and reflection. Moreover, it softens edges and reveals subtle shifts in tone. Because of this, the image invites slower looking. Without bold colors, forms emerge more gently—yet with greater clarity.

Abstract Form with Realistic Intent

Although the shapes appear abstract, they hold a sense of realism. The curves suggest folds of cloth or muscle. The whole composition feels like it could collapse—yet it stays intact. This fragile tension is key to the work. As a result, it offers an inner structure that seems to breathe. Compared to chaos, there’s a sense of balance. It’s unstable, yes, but still grounded.

Light, Tension, and Composition

What sets this work apart is how it interacts with light. Gradients shift softly across the surface. At the same time, translucent layers overlap and blend. Shadow and form blur together in a quiet rhythm. As a result, motion appears inside stillness. The image feels like it might unfold or fade. This visual language speaks to the core idea of the Ethereal Solid series: form that holds itself together, just barely.

Edition Details

Digital Fragments 417 was created digitally at high resolution (6552 × 8192 px at 300 dpi). Thanks to this format, the artwork supports large-scale printing without losing detail. Each edition is printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag using archival Giclée technology. You can also find it through the Unique Editions collection.

Prints are produced by Toronto Image Works, a fine art lab based in Toronto. They also specialize in high-end Giclée printing and ensure the image preserves its original tone and softness.

  • Miniature Marvel (12” × 15.0”) — $504
  • Grand Gesture (24” × 30.01”) — $1024
  • Monumental Piece (36” × 45.01”) — $1924

Each print includes a 1-inch matte white border, the artist’s signature, and a certificate of authenticity.

Artwork Details

  • Title: Digital Fragments 417
  • Series: Ethereal Solid
  • Medium: Digital painting + animation
  • Print: Hahnemühle Photo Rag
  • Created: May 2025
  • Artist: Denis Leclerc

Continuing the Conversation

In essence, this work continues a key thread in my practice—giving shape to what cannot be touched. Digital Fragments 417 is quiet, yet never passive. Its tones are muted, but its structure holds meaning. It connects to earlier works. At the same time, it opens a more internal, intimate voice. It’s just one fragment, yes—but it expands the story I’ve been telling all along.

Digital abstract artwork featuring smooth sculptural shapes in golden, bronze, and cream tones. The composition suggests the partial emergence of a human form, blending softness, weight, and motion within a vertical format.

Digital Fragments 416

Posted on | by Denis

Digital Fragments 416

What is Digital Fragments 416?

Digital Fragments 416 is part of Denis Leclerc’s series Ethereal Solid. He created it in May 2025. This work marks a shift in his digital practice. He no longer dissolves reality into abstraction. Instead, he gives abstraction a form. It feels present and weighty.

This piece exists in two forms. One is a printed version. The other is a subtle animation. Each version lets the image breathe. Together, they reveal form, gesture, and emotion. As a result, the viewer sees something abstract yet grounded.

How Digital Fragments 416 Translates Gesture into Shape

The composition shows smooth curves in warm bronze, copper, and cream. These shapes suggest a human presence—a face, a shoulder, a gesture. Nothing is fully defined. The form stays in motion. It hovers between memory and matter.

Leclerc does not break the image apart. Instead, he lets the form hold. He utilizes the digital medium to bring something to light. He asks the viewer to think. What if emotion could take shape? Consequently, the viewer enters a space where presence and ambiguity coexist.

The Animated Layer of Digital Fragments 416

Light glides across the surface. Shapes stretch and fold. Movement is minimal but powerful. As a result, the image feels alive. It gently evolves.

The animation avoids narrative. It explains nothing. Instead, it invites the viewer to watch. A form emerges slowly. Even though the motion is subtle, its presence is strong. Ultimately, it turns stillness into rhythm. Therefore, the work offers a meditative experience.

Material Qualities of Digital Fragments 416 (Print Version)

Leclerc printed this work on Hahnemühle metallic paper. The work exists in three formats (See Below). The tall format adds tension. Even so, the metallic surface reflects light softly. It builds depth, even when nothing moves.

The print asserts its presence. Although the work is digital, it feels intimate and grounded. Its stillness gives it quiet strength. The metallic surface adds texture and warmth, making the image feel almost touchable. As a result, the piece engages the eye—and stirs the senses.

Discover more about Denis Leclerc’s portfolio to see how materials play a central role in his digital practice.

From Fragmentation to Presence: A New Direction

The Ethereal Solid series rethinks abstraction. It no longer escapes form. Instead, it returns to presence.

Past works broke form apart. This series holds it together. Digital Fragments 416 is one of many pieces where the abstract becomes visible. In this way, it affirms a new path. As such, it leads to future works. They may grow with more clarity. Moreover, this shift opens new ways to express digital feeling. Meanwhile, it keeps form in motion. It never stays static. It is always becoming.

Artwork Details

  • Title: Digital Fragments 416
  • Series: Ethereal Solid
  • Medium: Digital painting + animation
  • Print: Hahnemühle metallic paper
  • Created: May 2025
  • Artist: Denis Leclerc

Order Your Limited Edition Print

Bring Digital Fragments 407 into your space. This artwork is in three sizes and printed on premium Hahnemühle Photo Rag paper for exceptional depth and vibrancy.

  • Miniature Marvel (12” × 15”) — $504
  • Grand Gesture (24” × 30″) — $1024
  • Monumental Piece (36” × 45”) — $1924
Framed fine art print of Digital Fragments 416 by Denis Leclerc on Hahnemühle metallic paper, displayed on a white surface with visible signature.
Fine art print of Digital Fragments 416 by Denis Leclerc, produced on archival Hahnemühle metallic paper.
Digital Fragments 401 by Denis Leclerc, abstract artwork with folded pink and silver textures over a gold background, part of the Golden Rule Series.

Digital Fragments 401

Posted on | by Denis

Digital Fragments 401

Digital Fragments 401 is part of the Golden Rule Series. In this body of work, I explore movement, texture, and transformation through digital abstraction. Although each piece begins without a plan, it often finds its own rhythm. In this one, the forms seem to shift and pulse, as if suspended between stillness and motion. As a result, light and shadow sculpt the surface, revealing depth in every fold.

At the same time, a golden backdrop introduces a sense of calm. It acts as a quiet contrast to the restless energy of the forms. Moreover, soft pink and silvery tones enhance the sensation of movement. Consequently, the entire composition feels like a living, breathing material, constantly in flux.

Ultimately, Digital Fragments 401 continues my search for balance. I am drawn to spaces where structure dissolves. After all, that is often where the image begins to speak.

Order Your Limited Edition Print

Bring Digital Fragments 407 into your space. This artwork is in three sizes and printed on premium Hahnemühle Photo Rag paper for exceptional depth and vibrancy.

  • Miniature Marvel (12” × 15”) — $504
  • Grand Gesture (24” × 30″) — $1024
  • Monumental Piece (36” × 45”) — $1924