Heather Gentleman’s work is narrative in nature, finding inspiration in literature, anthropology, mythology, and symbolism. She approaches her work primarily through painting and drawing, but also works in sculpture, video, writing, interactive installation, audio and performance allowing for cross pollination between genres.
Heather chooses to layer media when it enhances the telling of the story by allowing the viewer a fuller comprehension of the layers of meaning in the work. Imbued with psychological undertones and observation of contemporary culture in a historical context, she explores how ideas, themes and social mores recur and are paralleled from one time period to another and how our understanding of the past, and the future, is shaped by our own contemporary viewpoint.
Biography
Heather Gentleman lives and works in Toronto. Her education includes a MFA from Chelsea College of Art in London, UK, an Honours BA in Fine Arts at the University of Guelph. Her work has won several international arts awards and has been featured in several books, magazines, design annuals and media, in local, national and international media. It is also found in private and corporate collections in Canada, U.S., Asia, France and Great Britain. In addition to solo exhibits, she regularly participates in group shows. Heather ran her own gallery/studio school in the Historic Distillery District and acted as the Selection Committee Chair at Propeller Gallery in the Queen Street West Gallery District. She was the most recent Artist in Residence at WAAC and is currently an instructor at the Ontario College of Art and Design University.
