Henry Saxe OC RCA (b. 1937) is a renowned Canadian sculptor whose six-decade career has left a lasting mark on the evolution of modern and contemporary sculpture in Canada. Best known for his materially inventive, architectonic approach, Saxe creates work that explores concepts of space, balance, and structure across sculpture, drawing, and painting.

Born in Montreal and trained at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, Saxe’s early practice was shaped by the dynamic cultural landscape of 1960s Quebec. He developed close ties with influential contemporaries such as Guido Molinari, Yves Gaucher, and Claude Tousignant, while drawing early inspiration from American artists Willem de Kooning and David Smith. These influences helped shape his unique synthesis of Constructivist rigor and Abstract Expressionist energy.

Saxe’s sculpture often incorporates industrial materials—aluminum, steel, and reflective surfaces—used in unexpected ways. Modular, non-figurative, and highly responsive to their environments, his works challenge conventional notions of form and permanence. Surfaces are frequently cut, etched, or fractured, introducing tension and light-play into otherwise minimal compositions.

Collectors and institutions alike recognize Saxe’s importance within Canadian art history. His work is held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Canada and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. He represented Canada at the 1978 Venice Biennale and has had major solo exhibitions at institutions across Canada and the United States, including the Freedman Gallery in Pennsylvania and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. In 1994, his work was the subject of a significant retrospective spanning over three decades.

Saxe has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award, the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas, and the Order of Canada for his “unconventional works” that have “left an indelible imprint on Canadian sculpture.”

Now working from his studio in Tamworth, Ontario, Henry Saxe continues to innovate and influence—offering collectors an opportunity to engage with a foundational voice in Canadian abstraction whose work remains as vital today as when it first emerged.

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