Montreal artist, Dennis Ekstedt received his B.F.A. from the Emily Carr College of Art and Design and his M.F.A. from Concordia University in 1993. Dennis has been exhibiting across Canada for over 13 years and in 2002 won the Eastern Division of the RBC New Canadian Painting Competition. Dennis Ekstedt’s work will be in an upcoming book of Canadian art called Carte Blanche Vol.2 – Painting. He is represented in Calgary, Toronto, by Soho Myriad in Atlanta, Georgia and Los Angeles, California and most recently had a solo museum show at Galerie McClure in Montreal, Quebec which included a full colour catalogue.
Dennis uses the framework of the city grid as a way of structuring clusters of light. He is interested in the contrast and tension between the city grid and the organic clusters of artificial light. His work explores and emphasizes this contrast by treating the cityscape in an abstract way to emphasize the shape of light. For Dennis, the illuminated cityscape resembles a luminous organism, with electric light acting as a kind of nervous system or pulse – a manifestation of human presence.
EDUCATION
1993 M.F.A.. Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
1986 Fine Arts Diploma, Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Vancouver, B.C, Canada.
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2010 Travel Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec.
2009 Artistic Research and Creation Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec.
2008 Travel Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
2008 Travel Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec.
2008 Artistic Research and Creation Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec.
2007 Project Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
2007 Travel Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
2007 Travel Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec.
2005 Travel Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
2004 Travel Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
2002 RBC New Canadian Painting Competition, Eastern Canada Winner.
2002 Creation / Production Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
2001 Travel Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
2001 Research and Creation Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec.
2001 Travel Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec.
2000 Research and Creation Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec.
2000 Creation/Production Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
1996 Artistic Practice Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec.
1995 Short-Term Grant. The Canada Council for the Arts.
1995 Artistic Practice Grant. Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec.
1993 Artistic Practice Grant. Ministère de la Culture du Québec.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2013 (November) Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2013 "Lit, An Exploration of Light", OK Harris, New York, NY
2011 EVENT HORIZON, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta.
2010 WHATEVER SHINES SHOULD BE OBSERVED,Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art
Projects, Toronto, Ontario.
2008 CLUSTERS, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta.
2008 DELIRIUM, Galerie Art Mûr, Montreal, Quebec.
2008 SPRAWL, Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto, Ontario.
2007 SCINTILLATIONS. Patrick Mikhaïl Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario.
2007 DISSOLVE, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta.
2006 TEMPORARY CONSTELLATIONS, Galerie Art Mur, Montreal, Quebec.
2004 DRIFT, Galerie Art Mur, Montréal, Québec.
2002 LUMINA, Maison de la culture Frontenac, Montréal, Québec.
2001 PHOSPHORESCENCE, Harcourt House Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta.
1999 AFTER-IMAGE, McClure Gallery, Montréal, Québec.
1998 INCARNATE, Bishop’s University Artist’s Centre, Lennoxville, Québec.
1997 LE CORPS MATERIEL, Galerie d’Art d’Outremont, Montréal, Québec.
1995 PORTRAITS, Galerie Occurrence, Montréal, Québec.
1993 DETAILS, Bourget Gallery, Montréal, Québec.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 THE BEST OF THE SEASON, Patrick Mikhaïl Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario
2009 HK AFFORDABLE ART SHOW, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2009 ART FOR FOOD GROUP SHOW, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2008 DECADE, Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto, Ontario
2008 SHOWCASE, Patrick Mikhail Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario
2008 ABRACADABRA, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2008 THE LANDSCAPE SHOW, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2007 HK SUMMER GROUP SHOW, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2007 RETROSPECTIVE, Centre d’Exposition de Baie-Saint-Paul, Baie-Saint-Paul,Quebec
2007 THE LIGHTNESS OF SUMMER, Patrick Mikhail Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario
2007 SCAPE, Drabinsky Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2007 GROUP SHOW, Herringer Kiss Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
2007 THE NEW (PART TWO), Patrick Mikhail Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario.
2007 THE NEW (PART ONE), Patrick Mikhail Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario.
2006 A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SPACE, Drabinsky Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2006 GROUP SHOW, Cor Braun Fine Art, Westport, Ontario.
2006 PICTORAL NAVIGATIONS, Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay, Montréal, Québec.
2006 OEUVRES CHOISIES, Espace Creation Loto-Quebec, Montreal, Quebec.
2005 THE PEACE SHOW, Onepointsix Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2005 ART VIEW 2005, City Museum, Washington, D.C.
2005 KILLER, Onepointsix Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
2005 HI – LIGHT, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2004 THE DECEMBER SHOW, Drabinsky Gallery, Toronto, Ontario.
2003 LA PEINTURE FIGURATIVEMENT CONTEMPORAINE, Galerie Art Mur, Montréal, Qc
2002 RBC CANADIAN PAINTING COMPETITION FINALISTS, Ottawa City Hall Art Gallery.
2002 ONE SIZE FITS ALL, Harcourt House Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta.
2002 INVITATION AU VOYAGE, Maison de la culture Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal,Quebec
2002 DU QUEBEC A MARSEILLE, L’Association Artena, Marseille, France.
2002 GEOGRAPHIES,Le Centre d’Exposition de Baie-Saint-Paul, Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec.
2001 FILIATION PAR LA PEINTURE, Galerie Madeleine Lacerte, Quebec, Qc .
2000 PAINT OR DIE, 1946 Ste-Catherine W, Montréal, Québec.
2000 PASSART, PASSAGE 1999-2000, Centre d’Exposition de Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
1997 MACHINE HUMAINE, Maison de la culture Frontenac, Montréal, Québec.
1995 LUSH, Galerie Articule, Montréal, Québec.
1994 CORPUS, McClure Gallery, Montréal, Québec.
COLLECTIONS
- Telus
- The Royal Bank of Canada
- Centre d'Exposition de Baie-Saint-Paul
- Gildan Inc.
- Hydro Québec
- Loto-Quebec
- Europe’s Best Corporate Collection
- Bank of Montreal
- Talisman Energy Inc.
-Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
RESIDENCIES
2007 Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, California, U.S.A.
2005 Gros Morne Artists in Residence Program, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland.
2004 The Pouch Cove Residencies for Artists Program, Pouch Cove, Newfoundland.
2001 International Symposium of New Painting in Canada, Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec.
SELECTED REVIEWS AND PUBLICATIONS
2008 RBC CANADIAN PAINTING COMPETITION – TEN YEARS
2008 THINGS OF DESIRE, VOLUME 14, November 20, “ Clusters”, by Mike Landry
2008 CARTE BLANCHE, VOLUME TWO – PAINTING, Magenta Publishing for the Arts
2007 GALLERIES WEST, summer edition, “Canada Artists Portraits – Dennis Ekstedt”,
2007 WHERE CALGARY, March/April edition, “ Dennis Ekstedt: Urban lightscapes”, by Sally MacKinnon.
2007 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN, January 18, “ Portraits of space inspire reflection”, by Connie Higginson-Murray.
2006 LE DEVOIR, Montreal, March 25, “ Clef de voute”, by Michel Hellman
2006 VOIR, Montreal, March 16, “ Et la lumiere fut”, by Nathalie Guimond
2006 THE MONTREAL GAZETTE, March 4, “ Three painters get right to the point”, by Henry Lehmann
2005 TORONTO STAR, August 19, review of “Hi – Light”, by Peter Godard.
2005 TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL, August 13, « Hi – Light », by Gary Michael Dault
2004 LA PRESSE, Montréal, February 8, “ Peinture et paysage”, by Jérôme Delgado
2002 Catalogue for RBC New Canadian Painting Competition.
2002 COTE ARTS (Fall Issue), Marseille, France, "Galerie Artena, du Québec a Marseille" by Jacques Lucchesi
2002 LE DEVOIR, Montréal, July 20, "Cartes postales d'ici", by Marie-Eve Charron
2002 LA PRESSE, Montréal, July 7, " Voyage organise", by Jérôme Delgado
2002 VOIR, Montréal, July 4,« Panorama de la création actuelle », by Nicolas Mavrikakis
2002 “ La peinture: majesté de Baie-St-Paul”, télévision documentary by TOUT ECRAN
2002 Catalogue for INVITATION AU VOYAGE
2002 LA PRESSE, Montréal, April 7, “ Deux expositions a la maison de la culture Frontenac,” by Jerome Delgado
2002 VOIR, Montréal, March 28, “ Maniérisme”, by Nicolas Mavrikakis.
2001 VUE WEEKLY, Edmonton,Oct. 18, “ Eks and the city “, by Maureen Fenniak.
2001 VIE DES ARTS, Fall edition, « L’etre au monde : subversion, mutation. » by Jules Arbec.
2001 EDMONTON JOURNAL, Oct. 5,“ Phosphorescence illuminates city at night” by Gilbert Bouchard.
2001 LE SOLEIL, Québec City, Aug. 11, « Les affres de la creation ”, by Regis Tremblay.
2001 LE DEVOIR, Montréal, Aug.18, “ Le bouillonnement créateur », by David Cantin.
2001 VIE DES ARTS, spring edition, catalogue for The International Symposium of New Painting in
Canada
2000 MONTREAL MIRROR, Oct. 26, “ Passion Painting”, by Sholem Krishtalka.
2000 Catalogue for PAINT OR DIE, text by Jody Pauline Patterson.
2000 Catalogue for PASSART, PASSAGE 1999-2000.
1999 WESTMOUNT EXAMINER, Dec. 12, “ McClure features two exhibitions”, by Wayne Larson.
1997 Catalogue for MACHINE HUMAINE, text by Serge Roy
1995 LE DEVOIR, Montréal, June 11, “ Un discours un peu théorique”, by Jennifer Couelle.
1995 VOIR, Montréal, June 8, « Renee Duval et Dennis Ekstedt », by Stephane Aquin.
1995 HOUR, Montréal, June 8, « Lush », by Lucinda Catchlove.
1995 Catalogue for PORTRAITS, “ A Critique of Representation”, text by Anne Benichou