"Knives reveal many things about our humanity. Sometimes it’s a tool, sometimes it’s a weapon, sometimes a ritual object, sometimes it’s an object of control and identity. When I am sculpting knives there is the opportunity to explain exactly where we are from, what we are doing and where we are going."
Chantal Gilbert
Nationally renowned jeweller Chantal Gilbert penetrated the global market as an artistic knife-maker. This new direction has allowed Gilbert to take a different approach to silversmithing while continuing her aesthetic research on the symbols and rituals that shape the human psyche. Her personal appropriation transforms this utilitarian tool into a work of art.
Gilert’s pieces, at once primitive and sophisticated, have been presented in 40 exhibitions in Canada and abroad, and have earned her the recognition of international guilds as well as prizes, including the Grand Prix des métiers d’art du Québec (1998) and the Prix du rayonnement international du Québec (2001). Ms. Gilbert has a master’s degree in visual art from Université Laval (2000) and has taught at the École de joaillerie de Québec since 1991. She was also president of the Conseil des Métiers d’art du Québec.
Selected works
