Laara WilliamSen,
International Professional Painter
CANADA
Telephone 1 604 385 0695
EMAIL: laara63@gmail.com
BIOGRAPHY
Laara WilliamSen is a Vancouver, Lower Mainland, British Columbia based visual artist. She grew up in the Lower Fraser Valley of B.C., graduated from Emily Carr College of Art and Design in 1988, and then moved to North Vancouver to continue her painting and to continue her exhibiting both locally and internationally.
Her painting career spans more than 35 years and she has had 91 solos and has participated in 136 group exhibitions. Laara WilliamSen’s paintings are held in private collections around the world.
She is a recipient of “The top ten international painters” award in the International Artitudes Competition curated by the Museum of Modern Art, Lynn Warren, curator, Chicago, U.S.A., The Fogg Art Museum, Judy Neiswander, Curator, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. and The Guild Hall Museum, Helen Harrison, Curator, East Hampton, New York, U.S.A. The exhibition was held at Gallery 54, SoHo, New York, U.S.A.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I like to paint what I sense or feel such as the sound of a stream, the sparkles of light in the green world of nature or the city constructions with hard edges, electric sidewalks and some blazing red sounds. Using a paddle and my fingers, I apply acrylic or oil paints onto the canvas. My intention is that viewers may experience a sense of recognition or create their own stories from my art works.
C.V.
SELECTED EDUCATION
1984 – 1988 EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART AND DESIGN, Full time, Interdisciplinary Major. Diploma, Vancouver, B.C. Canada
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS
2020
ART BOX PROJECTS International group exhibition at the Swiss Art Expo 2020, Switzerland
ARTSY.COM International group exhibition online represented by Art Box Gallery, Switzerland
ART FOR HOPE AWARD, PALM ART AWARDS 2020 Juried international award, December 30, 2020
Juror and Publication for 2020 COLORS OF LIFE, Art Palette by Tanu Season 1. I was requested as a third Juror for this INTERNATIONAL exhibition of 35 people’s art work and the exhibition held in India. Published October 1, 2020, Banaras Times under Achievement, India.
PEACE, Juried international group exhibition, Personaland online, U.S.A.
2019
WHAT CALLS THE HEART Juried international group exhibition, MEGA ART, Rome, Italy
RETROSPECTIVE Laara WilliamSen Solo exhibition, Crescent Park 3rd Floor Gallery, Surrey, B.C. Canada
2018
INSPIRED BY THE CAMINO International group exhibition held at the Dezner Gallery to raise funds for Farmington Valley Arts Center, Nov 3 – 24, MI, U.S.A.
GALLERY ROSSO CINABRO Juried group international exhibitions, April and May: three exhibitions, Rome, Italy
OZU CULTURAL CENTER Attended artist residency to create new works. While there I taught two classes of painting to the children at Monteleone School with permission of their school board!
THREE PATHS TO CREATIVITY International group exhibition, Ocean Park Library, South Surrey, B.C. Canada
ROMART 2017 Biennale International Di Arte E Cultura,” Dr. Michela Bertazzo, juried Although juried into physical exhibition, I chose to exhibit online in December 2017 to January 2018, Rome, Italy
2017
NATURES TEXTURE Juried international exhibition, Still Point Art Gallery, Florida, U.S.A.
PEACE UNITES Peace Project 2017 AND ALSO
“Peace Starts Here,” Peace Project 2014,
“Peace, Love and Understanding,” Peace Project 2013,
“Make Peace,” Peace Project 2012,
“Peace Rises,” Peace Project 2011, all fundraisers for Africa, juried into touring
Group international exhibitions, sponsored by The Whole 9 Gallery, Los Angeles, U.S.A.
2017 continued
DIVERSIFIED ABSTRACTIONS Group exhibition, Ocean Park Library, South Surrey, B.C. Canada
CIRQUE DU SOIREE Juried group Art Auction, Event benefactor: Peace Arch Hospital Foundation – New Hospice Building, White Rock, B.C. Canada
2016
FROM THE HEART Solo exhibition, Pelican Rouge Café Gallery, Benefactor Peace Arch Hospital, South Surrey, B.C. Canada
STARS AND BEYOND Solo exhibition, Ocean Park Library Gallery, South Surrey, B.C. Canada
THE THREE MUSKETEERS Group exhibition, Good Day Sunshine gallery, South Surrey, B.C. Canada
PICNIC Ocean Park Library, group exhibition, South Surrey, B.C. Canada
2015
MOMENTS IN NATURE Laara WilliamSen Solo, Babes in the Woods Café Gallery, Galiano Island, B.C., Canada
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONS Art Exhibition and Interview online, The Carl Benz Cloud University, Germany
AUTUMN Laara WilliamSen Solo, Original oil painting: permanent installation, CHAMPALIMAUD FOUNDATION, Lisbon, Portugal
RISE GALIANO group Auction through Green Beautiful Foundation, to support the Borneo Rainforest – event held at Babes in the Woods Café Gallery, Galiano Island, B.C. Canada
IN3 INTERNATIONAL MINIATURE COLLECTIVE Juried group international exhibition, Artist representative for Canada, TVAA GALLERY, Plaza of the Americas, 700 Pearl Street, Dallas Texas, U.S.A
TWITTER ART International group exhibition, For Home Start fundraiser, Moss, Norway and 2013 “Twitter Art Exhibition,” fundraiser, International group exhibition in support of Street Youth, Exhale Gallery, 953 Chung King Road Los Angles, California, USA and 2012 “Twitter Art Exhibition,” fundraiser, International group exhibition fundraiser in support of The Women’s Shelter, Moss, Norway
2014
ROTARY ART AUCTION International group fundraiser sponsored by Art Cafe International, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.A.
VENDEL ART FESTIVAL Juried group exhibition, White Rock, B.C., Canada
PROJECT SMILES Group international exhibitions, coordinated by Marek Wysoczynski, Biuro Pronocji Kultury, Gdansk, Poland and also in the years 2013, 2012 and 2011
2013
SMALL ART WORKS Laara WilliamSen Solo exhibition, Good Day Sunshine Café Gallery, South Surrey, B.C., Canada
OPEN STUDIO Solo exhibition, Celebration of my completion of 20 paintings; The Elements: Earth, Fire, Air, Water while attending painting residence at Ozu Cultural Centre, Monteleone, Sabina, near Rome, Italy.
MEMORY 2nd Biannual Group International Art Exhibition. Richmond Art Gallery, 7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond, B.C. Canada
THE COLLAGE Art auction international at the University of Toronto, 560 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada This was a group fundraiser for Dr. Kevin Kain’s malaria research and treatment in Uganda.
UNITED STATE OF INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS Juried international group exhibition, Olga Santos galeria, Praca da Republica No 168 frente, Porto, Portugal
2012
A CASA DE LAGE Juried group international painting exhibition curated by Francisco Lacerda, graduate of Sotheby’s curator program, exhibit held at Pestana Place, Lisbon, Portugal
PASSAGES Juried group international painting exhibition curated by Francisco Lacerda, graduate of Sotheby’s curator program, exhibit held at Hotel Cascais, Miragem, Portugal
LETTERS FOR FEMINISM Donation for International group exhibition at International Art Works, Edmonton, Alberta. Canada
2011
FROM SKY TO SEA Laara WilliamSen Solo Juried, Small Rituals Gallery and Society, White Rock, B.C., Canada
DRAWING CONNECTION International group exhibition, held in permanent collection, Siena Art Institute, Paul Getty III Foundation, Siena, Italy
TIKKUN OLAM COLLABORATIVE GRID Juried international group exhibition, Alta Contemporary Art & Industria Studios, Tucson, Arizona, USA
TREES FOR LIFE International group fund raiser exhibition, “Out of the Blue Gallery,” 32-36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh, Scotland
SYMBIOSE juried international group exhibition, Zomer-Kunst festival, Breda De Stads Galerij, Oude Vest 34, Breda, Netherlands
FIBER FUSION INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE MURAL Juried group international exhibition, White Rock Museum and Archives, White Rock, B.C. Canada.
CELEBRITY AUCTION Juried group exhibition fundraiser for Semiahmoo Animal League Inc., Surrey, B.C., Canada
BROOKLYN ART LIBRARY Call for international art – Donated to the Permanent Collection, New York, NY, U.S.A.
MORGAN CROSSING Group exhibition,” Surrey, B.C., Canada and in 2010
2010
THE ARMORY EXHIBITION Group international, Pasadena, California, USA,
ARTISTS FOR FREEDOM Group international exhibition fundraiser to free children from slavery, Galileo Museum, Lennestadt, Germany and a second group international exhibition at The Bensdorf Town Hall, Bensdorf, Germany
INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART Group international exhibition and fundraiser for Chelsea College, London, United Kingdom
TWITTER ART & SOCIAL MEDIA Juried international group exhibition, at Diane Farris Gallery, West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
SELECTED AWARDS
1989 Top ten international painting award, International Artitudes Competition juried by
Museum of Contemporary Art, Lynn Warren, Curator, Chicago, U.S.A.,
The Fogg Art Museum, Judy Neiswander, Curator, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.,
The Guild Hall Museum, Helen Harrison, Curator, East Hampton, New York, U.S.A. Exhibition was held at Gallery 54, SoHo, New York, U.S.A.
1987 The B.C. Cultural Fund Senior Scholarship Award presented by Jack Shadbolt, Canadian – International painter and Arletta Stevens, Director of the B.C. Cultural Affairs, at Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Vancouver, B.C. Canada
1985 B.C. Cultural Fund Senior Scholarship Award presented by Thomas W. Kowall, Chairman, Scholarship Committee, Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Juror and Publication 2020 COLORS OF LIFE, Art Palette by Tanu Season 1. I was requested as a third Juror for this INTERNATIONAL exhibition of 35 people’s art work and the exhibition held in India. Published October 1, 2020, Banaras Times under Achievement, India.
Laara WilliamSen’s paintings are held in private collections around the world and she has many publications as well as many curating and fundraising experiences. For the past ten years, she has donated countless works of art to charities.
Telephone 1 604 385 0695 Email laara63@gmail.com
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