Contemporary Canadian Artists
Sheila Kernan is a Calgary based artist who was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; she grew up in a family who fostered the arts and encouraged creativity at every opportunity. She is known for her unique, sophisticated, and
tactile aesthetic.
Her work oscillates between realism and abstraction, referencing memory and imagination. Her compositions are meticulously crafted, cultivated through her use of referential collages made from multiple photographs and sketches. Ethereal softness, hardedges and thick painterly strokes collide in multiple layers, alluding to
a feeling rather than a specific location.
Kernan aims to translate an experience onto the canvas that stimulates others to interact with the work. She chooses to leave out information aiming not to include too much detail so that the viewer can bring his or her own experiences into the narrative. “How much information do you have to provide in order to still tell the story?” Kernan loves that the viewers’ emotions play into the narrative.
Over a decade as a full time artist her work can be found in numerous private, corporate, and public art collections across North America, and the world. Sheila Kernan’s paintings are avidly collected. She earned her B.F.A from the Alberta University of the arts in 2006. And since then has gone on to showcase her work nationally in more than 40 exhibitions. In 2017, she was awarded a lifetime achievement award as the recipient of the Alberta University of the Arts Alumni Legacy Award.