Born in Lithuania, Borenstein immigrated to Montreal in 1921 with his father and one sister. He first worked as a furrier’s apprentice in Ottawa before returning to Montreal, where he found employment in the garment industry. In the evenings he took classes in drawing and sculpture.
Borenstein’s expressionist style was inspired by masters such as Chaim Soutine and Vincent Van Gogh. His early works were concentrated on his surroundings in Depression-era Montreal, which he depicted with great energy and bright colours. In the 1940s, he travelled regularly to the Laurentian Mountains, sometimes accompanied by Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris, and painted many of his most well-known works on these trips. He also painted regularly on Montreal’s “mountain,” Mont Royal. Although acclaimed for these colourful landscapes, full of movement and energy, Borenstein also painted portraits, often in the summertime at the family’s summer home on Lac Brûlé in the Laurentians.
Since his passing in 1969, many of his works have been shown at the Galerie L’art Francais, and in 2005, he was the subject of an exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In 1992, he was the subject of a documentary directed by his daughter, called The Colours of My Father.
Compiled by Federation CJA and Na’ama Freeman.
Address
3635 Durocher Apt 3