Richard Cole
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Fort Langley based artist Richard Cole was born in Edmonton and graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts. His work, collected in corporate and private collections worldwide, celebrates the textures of the ephemeral and the unexpected beauty of land and water. It captures the vast spaces of Alberta’s prairielands, the dark tangle of wildness that is BC’s Fraser River delta, and the oceanscapes of BC's West Coast
In counterpoint to his sweeping vision, Richard's work also honours small moments: bright poppies against dull grasses, the textures of bark, the promise of clouds, and the transient legacies of human settlement. Recently, Richard has returned to figurative work in oversized portraits of humans and wildlife and has illustrated two successful children’s books.
MAJOR HONOURS AND AWARDS
-Finalist for the Kingston Prize 2023 (Canada Portrait Award)
-Shortlisted for British Portrait Award 2016
-BC Bestseller children's book (The Boy Who Paints)
Education
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1987-1991 Alberta College of Art, Calgary, Alberta
Visual Arts Diploma major in Painting
Solo Exhibitions
2019 (summer) Mountain, Halle Galerie, St. Moritz, Switzerland
2019 Lumiere, Charles Clark Gallery, Vancouver, BC,
2018 Prairie, West End Gallery, Edmonton
2017 Portraits, Arbutus Gallery, Kwantlen University, Surrey,BC
2017 Fleeting moment: figure, land, animal, Canada House Gallery
2015 New Work,Canada House Gallery, Banff, AB
2014 Release of children's book The Girl Who Writes, Canada House
2014 West End Gallery, Edmonton
2013 Canada House Gallery, Banff Alberta
2012 West End Gallery Victoria BC
2011 Canada House Gallery Banff Alberta
2010 Ian Tan Gallery, Hong Kong/ Vancouver
2009 West End Gallery, Victoria BC
2009 Canada House Gallery, Banff Alberta
2007 Canada House Gallery, Banff Alberta
2007 Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver,BC
2007 West End Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
2005 Halde Galerie, Widen Switzerland
2005 Canada House Gallery. Banff Alberta
2005 Lambert Gallery, Vancouver BC
2004 Portfolio Gallery, Vancouver BC
2003 Van Dop Gallery, New Westminster BC
2003 Portfolio Gallery, Vancouver BC
2002 Portfolio Gallery, Vancouver BC
1996 The Auburn, Calgary, Alberta
1995 The Seoul Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1995 Myxdmedia Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1992 Newzones Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
Group Exhibitions
2019 West Coast, West End Gallery, Victoria, BC
2018 Gibsons Fine Art, Calgary, AB
2018 BEAR, Canada House Gallery, Banff, AB
2017/2018 JOY, Canada House Gallery, Banff, AB
2016 p r a i r i e, Canada House Gallery, Banff, AB
2013 Ian Tan Gallery, Hong Kong
2008 Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2007 Halde Galerie, Switzerland
2006 Galerie d'art CHATEAU FRONTENAC, Quebec City, Quebec
2005 Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2005 Halde Galerie, Widen Switzerland
2005 Nan Miller Gallery, Rochester, NY USA
2004 Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle WA USA
2004 Halde Galerie, Widen Switzerland
2004 Lambert Gallery, Vancouver BC
2003 Whistler Village Art Gallery, Whistler BC
2003 Roche Bobois, Vancouver BC
2003 Seymour Art Gallery, Deep Cove BC
2002 Van Dop Gallery, New Westminster BC
2001 Bruce, Vancouver BC
1997 Browser, Artropolis, Vancouver, BC.
1996 Wolf and Wolf Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
1996 Painted Arrow Gallery, Jasper, Alberta
1995 Provenance Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1995 Paul Khun Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1993 Newzones Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1992 City of Calgary Mayor’s Office, Calgary
1991 Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1990 Latitude 53, Edmonton, Alberta
Charitable Donations
2003- Orcas in the city, B.C. Lions Society, Vancouver, BC
2002 –2017 Splash; Arts Umbrella, Vancouver. BC
2001 Seva, A room with a view, Vancouver BC
1997 Access Artist Run Centre, fundraiser, Vancouver, BC
1995 Edmonton Opera fundraiser, Edmonton, Alberta
1991-1995 New Gallery fundraiser, Calgary, Alberta
Artist talks, workshops, teaching
2019 Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Instructional Associate Fine arts.
2018 Artist talk and student critique, Painting class, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey BC
2017 Guest artist, 4th year graduation class, Kwantlen Polytechnic
University, Surrey,BC
2014 Student workshops in painting and writing for Children’s books. Grads 1 to 7, Langley school district, Surrey school district, Duncan school District.
1998 - 2003 Studio Technician, Simon Fraser University, School for Contemporary Art, Vancouver BC
Publications
2014 The Girl Who Writes (children book), by Richard Cole and K.Jane Watt, Fenton Street Publishing House.
2013 The Boy Who Paints ( children book), by Richard Cole and K.Jane Watt, Fenton Street Publishing House.
2013 Richard Cole, Recent work, Galleries West by Dina O’Meara
2012 Cover of ‘Best Homes, Western Canada
2004 Richard Cole,The Forest, Galleries West, by Beverly Cramp
1994 Artist Richard Cole, Calgary Herald.
1993 Gold Winner, Best Design Home, Western Living Magazine