Jean Gaudreau was born in Quebec City in 1964. At a very young age, he showed a strong interest in drawing and painting, which led him to train in visual arts at Laval University. In 1990, Jean Gaudreau made a trip to Europe that allowed him to study the works of the great European masters. After exploring various paths, Jean Gaudreau opts for the non-figurative.
In 2003, Jean Gaudreau was invited to present a solo exhibition at Cirque du Soleil's Montreal offices.
The years 2009 and 2010 marked another major turning point in his life. Robert Lepage shows his interest in projecting works by the painter during the presentation of the Image Mill. Gaudreau shares this honour with Quebec art stalwarts such as Jean-Paul Lemieux, Alfred Pellan and Jean-Paul Riopelle. This participation in the Image Mill has given him international visibility.
Starting in 2012, Gaudreau explores the integration of recycled copper fragments from the former roof of Château Frontenac, a century-old jewel in Quebec City's architectural heritage. These recovered pieces of copper, oxidized by the grey-green of the years, are an extraordinary source of inspiration for the artist and represent a major turning point in his artistic journey. Since then, the artist has put in shadow boxes hundreds of copper fragments retouched, folded, remodeled, sculpted and numbered.