Phillip Surrey

Philip Henry Howard Surrey was a Canadian painter and graphic artist best known for his figurative scenes and nocturnal cityscapes. Born in Calgary, Alberta, he spent his early childhood traveling internationally with his family before returning to Western Canada. In 1926, he began an apprenticeship in commercial art at Brigdens Limited in Winnipeg, while simultaneously taking evening classes at the Winnipeg School of Art under LeMoine FitzGerald and George Overton.

Surrey relocated to Vancouver in 1929 to work as a commercial illustrator for Cleland-Kent Engraving. During this time, he continued his artistic training through evening courses at the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts, where he studied under Frederick Varley and Jock Macdonald. In 1936, he moved briefly to New York City to study at the Art Students League under Frank Vincent DuMond and Alexander Abels before settling permanently in Montreal, Quebec, in 1937.

Upon moving to Quebec, Surrey worked in the publication industry for the Montreal Standard and later as an editor for Weekend Magazine. He integrated into the local art community, joining the Eastern Group of Painters and becoming a founding member of the Contemporary Arts Society in 1939 alongside John Lyman, Fritz Brandtner, and Goodridge Roberts. His studio practice centered primarily on urban landscapes, focusing on street scenes, pedestrians, and atmospheric night lighting in Montreal.

Surrey was elected an Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) and later a full Academician. He was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967, received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University in 1981, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in 1982. His artwork is included in the permanent public collections of major institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He lived and worked in Montreal until his death in 1990.