Born in Montreal in 1948, Michel BINETTE spent much of his childhood visiting the city’s many museums and art galleries. From the age of eight years old, he was determined to cultivate the talent growing within him and he began collecting academic prizes awarded by the Montreal School of Fine Arts.

In 1965, BINETTE created a bust of TCHAIKOVSKI that received the attention of the renowned Quebec sculptor Emile BRUNET who sought a meeting with him. Impressed by the audacity and talent of this young man, BRUNET offered his support by writing a letter of recommendation to the Canada Council for the Arts in order to procure him a scholarship to the School of Fine Arts in Paris.

In 1970, BINETTE found fame with his sculpture of the hockey legend Maurice RICHARD. The same year, he worked as an anatomical illustrator at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montreal.

In 1973, he took up residence in Ontario where he enjoyed tremendous success. Some of his art can be found at the prestigious Kaspar Gallery in Toronto and in the private collection of the Canadian Prime Minister of the time, Pierre Elliott TRUDEAU.

In 1974, he taught live drawing, painting in all its forms as well as sculpture at the Ontario College of St. Clair and the University of Windsor. One of BINETTE’s paintings was selected to mark the 150th anniversary of the City of Toronto.

In 1980, BINETTE was the only living artist to exhibit alongside Old Masters like Cornelius Krieghoff, Clarence Gagnon, Suzor Côté and Albert Frank during the Canadian Masters Exhibition at the Kaspar Gallery. A meeting between the famous American artist Andrew WYETH and BINETTE lead to a long friendship between the two artists.

In 1993, BINETTE developed his personal technique for engraving on granite and he produced numerous commemorative monuments.

In 1994, BINETTE produced a bronze bust of the Native American Chief TECUMSEH.

In subsequent years, BINETTE exhibited regularly and became known in Europe. His creative genius opened doors to the Dominion Gallery in Montreal among others. He also developed a friendship with Quebec artist Jean-Paul RIOPELLE.

In 2000, BINETTE produced a monumental work by sculpting the statue of former Quebec Premier Adelard GODBOUT, which is located in the gardens of Parliament Hill in Quebec City. He also sculpted two busts of the same subject for Hydro-Quebec and the School of Agriculture at La Pocatière.

In 2001, he won the Montcalm competition. With this award, he created the bronze statue of the Marquis de MONTCALM that now stands within the walls enclosing the Parliament of Quebec.

In 2002, out of admiration for the famous painter Jean-Paul RIOPELLE, BINETTE produced his bronze bust. He also immortalized in bronze, the legendary strong man of Quebec, Louis Cyr.

In 2004, at the request of Hydro-Québec, BINETTE produced the bronze bust of the former Quebec Premier, Robert BOURASSA, which is displayed at the corporation’s head office in Montreal.

In 2005, he was commissioned a bronze sculpture in honour of the great mathematician Ivan Rival, previously a professor at the University of Ottawa.

In 2007, at the request of Montreal’s Blue-collar Workers’ Union, BINETTE sculpted the bronze bust of their fiery president at the time, Jean LAPIERRE, which is exposed at the union’s headquarters in Montreal. During the same year, he created a larger-than-life wax bust of Celine DION that is put aside for a particular project.

In 2008, BINETTE devoted his time to growing his private collection by creating roughly 1000 preliminary studies closely related to his paintings and his sculptures. He also participates in a contest put forth by the City of Lévis to erect a monument in honour of Captain Joseph Elzear BERNIER. BINETTE’s candidacy is chosen among 14 sculptors. The planned memorialis an 8-foot high bronze statue erected in 2011 at the Paquet Dock near the Lévis-Québec Ferry crossing.

In 2009, BINETTE participated in two competitions organized by the Federal Government to replicate the bronze busts of James MURRAY and Francis Gaston CHEVALIER de Lévis to mark the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sainte-Foy. BINETTE won the two competitions and his two busts are exposed on the terrace at the entrance to the Parc des Braves in Québec.

In 2010, BINETTE was approached to reproduce a life-size bronze of painter Bruno CÔTÉ to be erected in Baie St-Paul. He is currently working on a bronze bust of Michael JACKSON.

BINETTE continues to receive many public and private commissions. His works are among permanent collections in Canada, England, France and the United States.