The Couple

Kim Dorland

121.9 × 91.4 cm, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2022

Kim Dorland pushes the boundaries of painted representation through an exploration of memory, material, nostalgia, identity and place. Drawing heavily from the Canadian landscape and his huge appetite for the history and language of painting, the loose yet identifiable scenes are interjected with areas of heavy abstract impasto contrasted with passages of delicate stains and washes and punctuated with any and every material or technique he deems necessary to achieve a harmonious discord. His refusal to remain faithful to one medium or approach plays into the symbiotic nature of his work.

Born in 1974 in Wainwright, Alberta, Canada, Dorland holds an MFA from York University in Toronto, and a BFA from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, in Vancouver. He has exhibited globally, including shows in Milan, London, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. His work is featured in the Contemporary Art Foundation (Japan), The Sander Collection (Berlin); Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal; Musée d’art contemporain de Montreal; Glenbow Museum (Calgary); Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Art Gallery of Alberta, the Audain Art Museum and numerous important private collections. Dorland currently lives and works in Toronto.