Hugh LeRoy
Hugh LeRoy (1939–2022) was a Canadian sculptor born in Montreal. A student of Arthur Lismer and Louis Dudek at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts School of Art and Design, LeRoy became a Professor Emeritus at York University and has taught at many other schools across the country.
His works include both natural and humanmade materials such as stone, wood, plexi and fiberglass, resin, charcoal, and metal. LeRoy’s works have been described as Abstraction, for his focus on colour, line, shape, and texture, Minimalism, and Constructivism.
LeRoy is notable not only for his works, but for his belief of art for art’s sake. That is, he enjoys making art as opposed to thinking or theorizing about art. He has been quoted stating that he enjoys making “useless things” that happen to be lumped into the category of modern art.
Despite his beliefs about his own work, LeRoy’s pieces are displayed throughout the country in both public and private spaces. Some of his monumental pieces include Rainbow Piece (1972) on the York University campus, and Four Elements Column (1967) in René-Lévesque Park in Quebec.
In his lifetime, LeRoy has received three Canada Council Grants, a UNESCO fellowship, and has been elected as an associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.