Clément Lemieux was born in 1946 in Lévis, Quebec. He completes his black belt in judo and opened his own school in the basement of his house in Levis. It was there that he met his future wife.
As the family grew, Clement began to take an interest in wood and furniture making. He turned away from cabinet making to take sculpture classes and hone his skills. The student surpassed the teacher, and only took 30 hours of the sculpture class. He then closed his judo school to become a full-time artist. In addition to his role as a father of 12 children. His passion for judo has brought him a great knowledge of the human body that enriches the way he creates and positions his characters. While continuing to sculpt, he also developed his talent for abstract painting, which gives him great experience with color.
He incorporates a part of himself into his sculptures. "You know, you can know the technique, but the rest is you." His wood carvings are then coloured and varnished, in successive layers, to give them this special lacquered look. Still, his characters stand by their own, their endless limbs merging admirably. Clement looks at his work, meditatively, and clarifies his thought: "Each type of wood has its constraints. You overcome them, and that's how you learn. Then you put your soul into it. But your soul also has constraints, and wood helps you overcome them’’ he says, his eyes shining.
Clément Lemieux is a fine example of a Canadian artist whose beginnings were rather unorthodox but who has demonstrated that it is never too late to develop a passion for art.