Joanne Corneau was born in Chicoutimi in 1952.
After completing her fine arts education at the University of Quebec in Montreal, Corno embarked on a career in painting. The Clarence Gagnon Gallery in Montreal decided to take her under its wing shortly after her graduation.
By the late 1980s, she became a favorite among Montreal collectors, and her works were among the most sought-after Quebec creations. Her reputation then spread across the rest of Canada, with exhibitions in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver. She presented some of her works at the Quebec Pavilion in Vancouver during Expo 86, which significantly contributed to her rise. At that time, she was represented by the Yves Laroche Gallery and was already among the most respected artists in the country.
Her growing success motivated her to break into the U.S. market. This led to her entry into the Boston visual arts scene at the Morgan Gallery and then at the University of San Diego, but it was New York City that captivated her the most. Corno moved there in 1992. She first participated in group exhibitions and numerous artistic events.
Following in the footsteps of Georgia O'Keeffe and Salvador Dali, she later exhibited at the Steuben Glass Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York. Everything indicated that the best was yet to come.
The new millennium brought Corno to the Opera Gallery in Soho, which began representing her with enthusiasm. Within just a few years, this renowned gallery propelled the artist to the top of its most coveted artists list. Subsequently, Corno's works became permanently displayed in New York, London, Paris, Venice, Monaco, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, and Dubai.
Corno's international success is enviable. Her neo-expressionist style, which blends fine figurative details with explosive gestures, resonates with a continually renewing clientele of collectors from one generation to the next. This strong enthusiasm for her creations can be attributed to her masterful use of color combined with her generously applied textures that capture attention.
Although New York is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Corno, her emotional and symbolic home remains Quebec, particularly Montreal. It’s no surprise that she regularly showcases her work in the metropolis. Each exhibition, more interesting than the last, leaves little respite for the artist who is always seeking new heights to conquer. This was the case in 2015 when she presented the memorable event *Corno Peinture en direct* at the AKA Gallery. Taking advantage of the presence of a few male models during the evening, Corno painted their torsos in front of a crowd of 300 admirers who had eagerly awaited this moment for years. Bold and slightly provocative, this fundraising event for the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital Foundation was a resounding success. A donation of approximately $20,000 was made to the Foundation under the approving eye of Dominique Michel, the spokesperson at the time. Other celebrities such as Diane Dufresne, Geneviève Borne, Patsy Gallant, André Sauvé, Guy Corneau (the artist's brother), and Guy Édoin also participated in the event. Journalists interviewed Corno in quick succession. Among these reporters were Pénélope McQuade for her eponymous show, Josélito Michaud, Benoit Dutrizac, and many others on TVA, LCN, Ici RDI, Global TV, Radio 9, 98.5 FM, NRJ, Rouge FM, and CIBL.
Corno passed away in 2016 at the age of 64.