Marie-José Gustave, Cailloux dans l’eau, 2026
Marie-José Gustave is a Canadian artist of French-Guadeloupean origin. Born in France and living in Quebec for more than 25 years, Gustave combines hand-made pieces of porcelain with natural materials like paper thread and wood. Trained in textiles, her work bridges traditional basketry, knitting, and crochet techniques with contemporary sculpture.
Within the circular frames of her most recent body of work, Shore, the artist weaves together threads made from paper into nets. Onto these matrices, Gustave secures small porcelain rings or discs that she makes in her studio. They create a single line which loosely evokes a horizon or shoreline. Gustave’s forms are organic, echoing reeds being moved by waves and coral softened by the tide. Gustave is fascinated by artisanal techniques: basketry, textile work, pottery. Across all of these mediums, Gustave is interested in “making a repetitive gesture until I master it so that the material becomes an extension of my fingers.” Trained in clothing production in Paris, Gustave began her artistic practice in Canada opting for paper as she is drawn to its dual nature of rigidity and flexibility.
In 2025, Gustave’s work was presented in an exhibition at the Canadian Cultural Center in Paris, France titled Autres Territoires/Other Territories. The internationally acclaimed exhibition brought together five artists of African and Caribbean origins to reimagine the concept of territory and belonging through lived experience rather than fixed geography. The second edition of Autres Territoires/Other Territories was held at Nicholas Metivier Gallery in January, 2026.
“What materializes in my creations is a personal work of introspection. My migratory family history for instance: Hailing from the French Antilles, where diverse cultures blend – from Caribbean Indians and Africans to Europeans – and having been born in Paris. I aim to explore the complexities of identity and belonging, weaving together threads of heritage and experience to evoke a sense of shared humanity.” - Marie-José Gustave
Marie-José Gustave’s work has been exhibited in Canada, France, and the US. Her work is in the collections of the Musée National des Beaux-Arts in Québec City and the Musée des Métiers D'art in Montreal.