Elphege Valois. Sculptor. Causapscal, Quebec. (B. Roxton Falls.) Active mid 20th century.
A prolific and varied artist; Elphege Valois filled his world (and his back yard) with his carvings of people, animals and birds. He often worked with ‘as found’ materials; particularly in his yard carvings. Elphage Valois is known for his carvings of Horses and Horse drawn vehicles as well for his sometimes stunning carvings of people especially in the form of carved heads. He usually finished his carvings with with varnish and ‘as found’ house paints. He signed his carvings: ‘J.E. Valois’ using a wood-burning tool.
His carvings of smiling heads are exceptionally fine examples of Quebec naive and outsider art. In an interview the artist said that he ‘liked to make wood laugh’, and that he achieved this by putting teeth (in white plastic) in his carved heads.
A Carved Sulky and Driver by Elphege Valois:
Elphage Valois. Woodcarver. Victoriaville, Quebec. Sulky and Rider.
Another example of one of his horse-drawn carriages (A ‘Vis-a-Vis’) in The Museum of Civilization:
http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/treasure/209eng.shtml
Ref: Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies of the National Museum of Man, From the Heart: Folk Art in Canada, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, c1983,
Ref: Les Patenteux du Qubec. Louise de Grosbois, Raymonde Lamothe and Lise Nantel, Les Editions Parti Pris, Montreal, 1978.
