Bio
Abstract horizons turned towards the future
" Where I live, there is a shining river. When I paint, it inspires me.
The horizon is balance, matter is strength, and color is the personality of the work.” — Isabelle Murray
Originally from Saguenay, Isabelle Murray lives and works in Rivière-du-Loup, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, where she has been based for over twenty years. A visual artist with a background in graphic design, she has been developing since 2008 a painting practice rooted in the contemplative observation of the St. Lawrence River. She captures its light, its horizons, and its seasonal transformations through a refined, minimalist, and distinctly contemporary approach.
Her work translates the estuarine landscape of the St. Lawrence into a series of abstract compositions that explore horizontality, the tension between balance and movement, and the expressive density of material. Her palette oscillates between organic softness and vivid contrast, where knife-applied impastos and defined color bands become signature gestures.
Since her first solo exhibition Les Phares (Maison de la culture de Rivière-du-Loup, 2013), her work has been shown in various venues across Bas-Saint-Laurent, Québec City, and Montréal. Several of her pieces have been selected by the Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent as part of its annual fundraising auction. She has also collaborated with artists from other disciplines, including composer Jimmy Rouleau and the artist duo Mélusine, with whom she co-created Calme blanc, a series inspired by winter maritime landscapes.
Today, Isabelle Murray continues her artistic exploration from her ancestral home studio overlooking the river. Deeply connected to her environment, she creates works that aim less to represent than to evoke — a breath, a light, a presence.
In June 2025, she presents a selection of new works at Galerie Loly in Montréal and continues to develop upcoming exhibition projects.
