Canadian artist Francois Lortie, also known as Niska, was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1940. Niska began painting at the age of six after an unfortunate accident that left him in the hospital for a year and a half. At the age of 25, Niska decided to dedicate his life to his art and set to work upon four points that he felt were necessary to become an artist, but that most habitually disdained: to choose an easy-to-remember name with two syllables, to develop a unique technique, to build a market based on steady stales and finally, to participate in as many international exhibits as possible.
By 1973, Niska’s record was prodigious and by the age of 30, Niska had become a member of the Leonardo Da Vinci Academy (Rome), the Lutèce International Academy (Paris) and the French Literary and Artistic Academy. He has exhibited internationally, most notably at the 83rd Salon des Independants at the Grand Palais des Champs Elysees. He has won the 1st prize for painting at the International Festival of Auvillar and the Grand Prix for Contemporary Art in Monaco in 1972. Niska is currently collected throughout North America and Europe.
The artist has fostered a very unique style over the years; one derived from tachism and rich in both color and rhythm. He borders between being a figurative landscapist and a non-figurative automatist, and his techniques include pleats, cracks and thick impasto.
