Claude Lafortune (5 July 1936 – 19 April 2020) was a Canadian artist and television personality best known for his inventive work with paper and for hosting the children's program Sol et Gobelet from 1968 to 1971. Born in Montreal, on the province of Quebec, Lafortune combined performance, set and costume-making, and hands‑on paper sculpture to create whimsical, educative worlds for young audiences.

Artistic medium and methods

Lafortune concentrated on paper as both material and message. His practice included collage, papier‑mâché, cut‑paper sculpture and assembled installations made largely from everyday paper and glue — techniques celebrated in exhibitions titled with the French phrase for basic craft tools, "Colle, papier, ciseaux" (glue, paper, scissors). He often built three‑dimensional figures, masks, stage props and environments that emphasized imagination, texture and approachable craft.

Career highlights

  • Television: Host and creator of visual elements for children's programs, most notably Sol et Gobelet (1968–1971), which combined gentle humor with visual storytelling.
  • Exhibitions: Retrospectives and displays of his paper work, including the exhibit Colle, papier, ciseaux at the Musée des cultures du monde in Nicolet, Quebec, introduced his ephemeral practice to museum audiences.
  • Theatre and education: He supplied sets, costumes and workshops that drew attention to paper as a serious artistic medium and a teaching tool for children and adults.

Impact and legacy

Claude Lafortune is remembered for transforming humble materials into engaging visual narratives. His work helped legitimize paper sculpture within Canadian craft and museum contexts and inspired generations of educators and artists to explore hands‑on creation. The approachable, playful quality of his pieces made complex sculptural ideas accessible to children and the general public.

Later life and death

Later in life Lafortune continued to exhibit and to be involved in cultural events. He died in Longueuil, Quebec, on 19 April 2020; his death was attributed to COVID‑19. Tributes following his passing emphasized both his artistic inventiveness and his place in Quebec's broadcasting and cultural history.

For an introduction to his visual work, museum catalogues and exhibition notes provide images and discussion of technique; televised archives of his programs illustrate how his paper creations functioned in performance contexts and educational programming.