Meet the 17-year-old Quebec painter taking her work international

Mégane Fortin, as a young child in art classes, found herself restricted by the traditional rules of painting.

So, she chose to disregard them entirely.

"I didn’t like that there were rules… everyone just did the same thing," Fortin said with a smile, standing in front of a display of her paintings at a local café in Quebec City.

At just 17 years old, this abstract artist from Stoneham, Quebec, has been creating outside the lines for the past decade.

Her creativity flourished when her mother enrolled her in an abstract painting course at the age of seven.

"It’s liberating... Art is like therapy," said Fortin, who showcased her first collection at the age of nine.

Since then, her artwork has sold for thousands of dollars, with pieces reaching collectors in Quebec, across Canada, and internationally.

"I’m so happy to have found my passion. For some other teenagers, it might be sports or music, but it’s rare to see someone so young pursuing art," she shared.

Fortin’s work has been exhibited in New York and Los Angeles, and in December, she was invited to her first event in Miami — Spectrum Miami.

Eric Smith, the owner of Spectrum Miami, Red Dot Miami, and the Redwood Art Group, explained that the exhibition coincides with Art Basel in Miami. "With 15 fairs over a few days, Miami’s art week is probably the world's largest art fair," he said.

Spectrum Miami invites about 190 exhibitors, but receives nearly 700 applications. "There are artists who make their entire year from our event, selling anywhere from $100,000 to $400,000 worth of art," Smith noted.

While many art fairs focus on collectors and dealers, Spectrum offers 15 artists the chance to paint live in front of an audience and discuss their creative process, with Fortin being one of the selected artists.

Fortin’s mother, Jessie Tremblay, recalled noticing her daughter’s talent as early as kindergarten. "Even at five, she had to create every day," Tremblay said. "She didn’t play with her friends; she preferred to create instead."

Tremblay has worked part-time to support her daughter’s passion, with both her and Fortin's father managing the behind-the-scenes aspects and shipping of Fortin’s art.

"It’s a real privilege," Tremblay said, holding up a towel printed with Fortin’s abstract designs.

Fortin, who almost always wears the same clothes when she paints, explained she prefers to use her hands to feel more connected to her art. "Some people say I’m an atypical artist," she said. "I don’t want to wash all my brushes, so I wipe them on my clothes."

Now, Fortin has her sights set on Europe and hopes to become a resident artist abroad. She also aims to return to Miami art week in the future, confident that it will validate her credibility, even though she is younger than many of the other artists.