Anne Kahane


Anne Kahane is a Canadian artist. Best known for her figures carved in wood, Kahane began her career as a printmaker and commercial artist.

Early life

Kahane was born in Vienna, Austria March 1, 1924. In 1925, she and her family moved to Canada, and settled in Montreal. In Montreal, Kahane attended high school at Strathcona Academy where no art course was taught. The absence of these studies influenced her to seek extra-curricular activities related to art.
Upon enrolling in night classes at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montreal, she furthered her studies in traditional sculpture, commercial art, industrial design, and architecture. In the fall of 1942 Kahane began training as a commercial artist at Valentine's School of Commercial Art. She was part of a 2-year intensive program while also working at a commercial engraver's studio.
Kahane lived with her mother, using the home of her friends as "studio space", and obtained planks of wood for her art from the local lumberyard.
In 1945 she went to New York to study at the Cooper Union Art School. It was there that she discovered the art of woodcarving, the technique that would later shape her career.

Career

Emerging Recognition

In 1953, Kahane's maquette for The Unknown Political Prisoner Monument was the only Canadian entry to take a prize in the international sculpture competition organized by the Institute of Contemporary Arts of London, England. In the same year, Kahane had her first solo exhibition at the Galérie Agnès Lefort. While no financial prize was received from the competition, she was asked to join the Society of Canadian Sculptors in 1952 as a result. At the 1956 Concours Artistique de la province au Quebec, Kahane won the grand prize for her work Ball Game. As an associate member of the Royal Canadian Academy, Kahane exhibited with them between 1964 and 1976, and with the Art Association of Montreal from 1957 to 1965.

Mature Artist

Kahane has received public and private commissions, notably her sculpture for the Winnipeg airport and a piece for Montreal's Place des Arts. She was also an associate member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, exhibiting with them between 1964 and 1976, and a member of the Art Association of Montreal from 1957 to 1965.
Beyond her artistic pursuits, Kahane began teaching fine arts at Concordia University from 1965 to 1980. Later, as a resident sculptor, she taught at McMaster University, where she explored flat structural techniques using flexible materials to depart from traditional three-dimensional structures. Kahane's work has been internationally celebrated, representing Canada at the Canadian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the Brussels World's Fair, and at Expo 67 in Montreal.

Media

In addition to her work in sculpting using wood, brass, and aluminum, Kahane's artistic repertoire also includes drawing and printmaking.

Selected Exhibits