Canadian artist Robert Roussil was born on August 18th, 1925 in Montreal, Quebec. Roussil enrolled in the Canadian army from 1942 to 1944 and at the end of the war, was presented with a scholarship offer by the government to attend the École du Musée des beaux-arts. Professor and director Arthur Lismer encouraged him pursue a career as a sculptor and hired him as an apprentice.
In 1952, he participated in the World Congress of Peace in Austria and befriended several artists, including Diego Rivera. It was here that Roussil realized his passion for the international symposium, which allowed many sculptures to work on large pieces. In 1956, Roussil left Montreal to live in an abandoned windmill in Tourettes-sur-Loup, where he would go on to build a garden of sculptures.
His monumental pieces are displayed in public areas in and around Quebec and France, including 1100 René-Lévesque West in Montreal. In 1964, he helped found the International Sculpture Symposium in Montreal. His first major art gallery exhibits began in 1962 and his museum exhibits in 1965. He passed away at his home in France in 2013.
