Newfoundland and Labrador mosaic artist Terry Nicholls is stunning gallery-goers at an exhibition in France. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC)
Terry Nicholls's face lights up when he's asked how it feels to represent Newfoundland and Labrador in France.
"Wonderful," he said. "They are not aware of how this particular part of the world is."
Nicholls, a St. John's-based mosaic artist, selected a fitting theme to represent the freezing North Atlantic province: ice, and how it affects the wildlife and communities that reside here.
The work is exhibited in the French "city of mosaics," Paray-le-Monial.
The exhibition From Canada was officially opened on July 9 and will run until Sept. 19. (Submitted by Mireille Swinnen)
While Nicholls focuses on themes that represent the province — ice, ocean and rugged landscape — his chosen art form is rather uncommon for the province.
Few local artists, he explained, work with mosaics. Nicholls, however, has been doing it for 20 years.
For the past three, he's been working on art pieces for the French exhibition, the first of its kind.
"This is the first time that a country from North America has been invited to exhibit in Europe," said Nicholls.
"It's also, from what I know, the largest exhibit of North American mosaics ever held in Europe. And apparently our artwork is being received very well."
Pressure Ridge is one of the pieces displayed in Paray-le-Monial. (Submitted by Terry Nicholls)
It all started in 2018, says Nicholls, when Ontarian mosaicist Sophie Drouin made a presentation to the International Association of Contemporary Mosaicists, based in Ravenna, Italy.
"They were struck by Canadian art. They had never seen anything quite like it," Nicholls said.
The exhibition was unveiled in Paray-le-Monial on July 9 and runs until Sept. 19, showcasing the art of 12 Canadian mosaicists from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec — and Nicholls, who says he's honoured to be the only artist from Atlantic Canada to claim inclusion in the show, aptly titled From Canada.
The Canadian artists' works are well received in France, according to Nicholls. The Canadian style, he explains, is different from that of European artists; most Canadian mosaicists are self-taught.
"We're really new to the mosaic scene, seeing that mosaics go back to 3000 BC. And in Europe, they go back to the Romans and Greeks," said Nicholls.
"So Canadians are new, new, new."
Nicholls's first mosaic was created with floor tile.
"I cut my hands to bits and I said, I better learn about this," he said. "I had to destroy a lot of stuff on the way that wasn't very good."
Nicholls did learn about it, and eventually received two Arts and Letters Awards from the provincial government, in 2007 and 2010.
Nicholls started creating mosaics 20 years ago and says he is honoured to represent the province in France. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC)
For the exhibition in France, he's sponsored by the City of St. John's and the N.L. Arts Council.
Even though the exhibition in Paray-le-Monial packs up in September, Nicholls's art won't return to St. John's right away. His art will be part of an exhibition in Villa Bagatelle in Quebec City from March to May 2022.
"We're being recognized," he said. "And not only that, we're being recognized for something that is fresh."
Henrike Wilhelm is a video journalist working with CBC's bureau in St. John's. Her primary focus is on stories about health care and social justice. She can be reached at henrike.wilhelm@cbc.ca.
