About

Peter Harris is a Toronto, Canada based artist who has explored themes involving the urban landscape in his oil paintings for over 25 years. His obsession with cities and urban life has been a constant in his work and life, as he transitioned from small town living as a child, to living in a mid-sized city as a youth, to finally living and working in the downtown core of Toronto.

His work portrays the common elements of the city: parking lots, building, gas stations, restaurants, subways, etc. These often overlooked aspects of the urban environment are presented as an opportunity to re-examine the spaces we inhabit. Painted in a crisp, realist manner, his paintings are recognizable for their depictions of urban settings at night, absent of people.

Peter graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1997 with a degree in Fine Arts, and in the years since has exhibited his work in cities across North America, including Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Vancouver and New York City. His work can be found in private collection in Canada, the United States, and Europe.


Chronology


B. 1974, London, ON


1988 - 1993

Attended Saunders Secondary School, London, ON. Studied Fine Arts and Architectural Drafting



1993

Winter of 1993, travelled to Bertram, Texas to stay with artist Grandmother, Doris Nelson. Painted en plein air from the Texas landscape and worked in studio developing still life techniques in oil paint.

Summer of 1993, attended series of open life drawing sessions offered at London regional Art Museum. Saw works by Jack Chambers, Greg Curnoe, Paterson Ewen, Tony Urquart at museum.


1993

Attended University of Waterloo, studying Fine Arts. Studied with Art Green and Tony Urquart.

Student work, 3rd year painting class. Oil on canvas. 1995

Student work, 3rd year painting class. Oil on canvas. 1995

Student work, 3rd year painting class. Oil on canvas. 1995


1996

Summer of 1996, Peter stayed in Waterloo working independently on a new series of drawings, completed between 3rd and 4th year of classes at University of Waterloo.

Drawing and mixed media on watercolour paper. 1996

Drawing and mixed media on watercolour paper.  1996

Drawing and mixed media on watercolour paper. 1996


1997

Graduated from University of Waterloo, with Honours BA in Fine Arts, Studio Specialization. Remained in Kitchener-Waterloo area pursuing a career as an independent visual artist.


1998

After graduating, found first studio at Globe Studios in Kitchener, ON and began to develop a body of  work using found vintage magazine images. 

oil on canvas, shaped. 1998

oil on canvas with silver leaf. 1998

oil on canvas with wood panel and silver leaf. 1998

oil on canvas. 1998

oil on canvas. 1998

oil on canvas. 1999


2000

Sunday Dinner Series, Solo Exhibition at the Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener City Hall, Sept, 2000.

Consisting of 52, 1 foot square paintings, each painting featured a different "Sunday Dinner" meal, sourced from vintage magazines and cookbooks the artist found in used bookstores in Kitchener.

Sunday Dinner, oil on canvas, 12 x 12", 1999

SUnday Dinner Series, oil on canvas, 12 x 12" each. 1999

Installation view, Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener, ON. 2000


2000

Urban Planner, Solo exhibition at Robert Langen Gallery, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON.  Oct., 2000

First exhibition of figurative works, combining imagery touching on urban themes, mapping, and abstraction.

oil on canvas. 2000

oil on canvas. 2000

Installation view. Robert Langen Gallery at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON. 2000


2001

Moved from Globe Studios to larger studio in Lang Tannery Building, 151 Charles st, Kitchener, ON.

Studio at Lang Tannery, downtown Kitchener, ON, 2001


2001

Group exhibition, Arts On King, Toronto, ON

New series of paintings developed and shown, building on abstraction and combining with nature based imagery.


2004

Development of diptych series combining developing interest in urban landscape scenes, nocturnes, and infrastructure.

Oil on Canvas, 2004

Oil on Canvas, 2004

Oil on Canvas, 2004

Oil on Canvas, 2004


2004

Joined the Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto.


2005

Developed new "Lost Highway" Series, with larger-scale oil on canvas paintings of empty highway, focusing on the intersection of man-made infrastructure and the surrounding landscape.

oil on canvas, 2005

oil on canvas, 2007

oil on canvas, 2007

oil on canvas, 2006


2005 

Awarded first Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant for painting.


2006

The Spaces Between, Solo Exhibition at the Robert Langen Gallery, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON

Featured paintings of urban landscape, night scenes, Chinatown series.

Installation view, "The spaces Between",  Robert Langen Gallery, Wilfrid Laurier University, 2006

Installation view, "The spaces Between",  Robert Langen Gallery, Wilfrid Laurier University, 2006

oil on canvas, 2006

oil on canvas, 2006


2007

First solo exhibition at the Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto.

Installation view, "New Paintings", Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto. 2007

oil on canvas, 2007

oil on canvas, 2007

oil on canvas, 2007

2009

First exhibition in the United States, at the Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY.

Installation view, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY, USA

Installation view, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY, USA

oil on canvas, 2009

oil on canvas, 2009


2009

Second solo exhibition at Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto. Featuring many new night paintings, streetcar and other urban inspired paintings.

Installation view, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, 2009

Opening night, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, 2009


2011 

Awarded first Ontario Arts Council mid-career project grant

2011

Solo show at Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto. Featuring many nocturnes and urban landscapes.

Invitation, New Paintings, solo show, Mira Godard gallery.

Installation view, Mira Godad Gallery, 2011


2012

First versions of paintings that include historical examples of Canadian Art inserted into architectural space are developed.

JackPine with Bush, 14 x 40", oil on canvas, 2012


2013

Solo exhibition at the Mira Godard Gallery, 2013. Featuring early Chinatown paintings and other nocturnes and paintings of the urban landscape.


Installation view, Mira Godard Gallery, 2013

Dundas Garden, oil on canvas, 2013


2013

Solo Exhibition at the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts, 2013

Installation view, BMFA Arts Centre, 2013


2014

Solo Exhibition, "Night Shift" at Galerie d'Este, Montreal

invitation for "Night Shift", Galerie d'Este, Montreal

Installation view, Galerie d'Este, Montreal


2015

Solo exhibition, "New Canadian Landscapes", Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa.



2015

Solo Exhibition, "New Canadian Landascape", Kawartha Gallery, Lindsay, ON.

Installation view, Kawartha Gallery, Lindsay, ON

Artist talk, Kawartha Gallery, Lindsay, ON.


2015

Solo Exhibition, "Night Watch", Mira Godard Gallery

Invitation, "Night Watch", Mira Godard Gallery

Installation view, "Night Watch", Mira Godard Gallery


2016-2017

Created a suite of 3 solo exhibitions combining the historical artworks of Edward Hopper placed in to contemporary Canadian architectural settings.

Conversations with Hopper, Galerie d'Este, Montreal, QC

Hopper's Shadow, the Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC

Evening with Hopper, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON


Installation view, "Evening with Hopper", Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto

Opening day, "Hopper's Shadow", Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC.

Installation view, "Conversations with Hopper, Galerie d'Este, Montreal, QC.

2017

Uncommon Place, exhibition, Gallery 19, Chicago

Installation View, Gallery 19, Chicago


2018

Solo Exhibition, "Undisclosed Locations, Galerie d'Este, Montreal, QC.

Installation view, Galerie d'Este, Montreal.


2019

Solo Exhibition, "Machine for Living", Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON

Installation view, Machines for Living, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON.


2020

exit bonaventure

2022

IN transit MG


2022

between here and ther I tan

2023

art gallery hamilton

2023 - 2024

arcadia contemp

Using Format