For the first time in Montreal, the Galerie Lounge TD has the great privilege of presenting the visual artworks of Leonard Cohen. Poet, novelist, and singer-songwriter, for four decades this Montreal prodigy has been captivating the world over with his powerful lyrics, timeless melodies and enveloping voice.

Cohen, who in his own words says he "decorates his notebooks," has in fact been drawing relentlessly since the early days of his career. His drawings, which he never intended to exhibit, are composed and annotated spontaneously with no restraint and with a sense of humour. Recently, however, he agreed to show his artwork to the general public, who can now discover yet another facet of his boundless creativity.

Born in Montreal (1934), Cohen published his first collection of poetry at age 17, but it was in 1961, with The Spice Box of Earth, that he commanded international recognition as a poet.

He lived for several years in London and on the Greek island of Hydra, while continuing to publish poetry and novels, before finally settling in the United States in 1966. In 1967, he released his first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, which included his song classic Suzanne. And so began his extraordinary career as an author-singer-songwriter that would see him sell millions of albums.

In 1994, Cohen retreated to a Buddhist monastery near Los Angeles, where he was ordained as a Zen monk and given the Dharma name of Jikan. He left the monastery in 1999 to take up residence in Los Angeles, where he still lives. In March 2008, Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And at age 74, he returned to the live stage and began a worldwide concert tour. In 2010, Leonard Cohen, who already has a long list of awards and accolades to his name, will receive (at the same time as Michael Jackson) a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award featuring his whole career.