Born in Montreal, Mephisto Bates spent his teenage years in Mascouche before returning to his hometown at the age of 21. In 2013, he began studying visual arts at Cégep du Vieux Montréal but soon decided to dedicate himself entirely to his personal projects. A self-taught and multidisciplinary artist, Bates explores various art forms, including painting, sculpture, installation, and music. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions, live painting events, and solo shows.
His deep involvement in the art scene allowed him to collaborate with renowned festivals such as Festival SOIR, Festival Mode et Design, Festival arts et culture du Projet Ex, Santa Teresa, and OUMF in 2017.
Bates' work draws inspiration from the Automatist movement of the 1940s, which advocated for an intuitive and non-representational approach. Through this lens, Bates rejects rationality and preconceived notions in favor of freedom, intuition, and spontaneity. His pictorial language is built on deliberate loss of control and letting go, creating a distinctive, raw, and authentic aesthetic often compared to large-scale "children's drawings."
His universe is characterized by a dynamic interplay of colors and compositions, favoring pastel and primary tones. Each work reflects his energetic presence, where gesture and texture enhance his creative process.
In 2019, he joined the multidisciplinary collective Aussenwelt, with whom he exhibited at events such as the after-party of the Festival Mode et Design and participated in an artist residency marked by an ever-evolving solo exhibition.