Bio

Zac Kenny was born in Kingston Ontario in 1983 and grew up there. Having a keen interest in fine art, he spent much of high school enrolled in various art focus programs. In 2002 he began a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. He graduated with a major in Drawing and Painting in 2006. Since then, he has been painting, and volunteering with youth/emerging artist programs. In the fall of 2008, pursuing an interest in teaching, he travelled to Montreal, where he is currently completing a Masters of Art Education at Concordia University.

Artist's Statement

My work revolves around my diverse interests; life drawing, portraiture, collaborative drawing, quantum physics, Zen buddhism, and the environment to name a few. Life drawing is where I gather my artistic energy. The process of seeing and drawing is inspirational and sparks an excitement that I bring to all of my other work. To quote my favourite drawing professor Richard Robertson, “If you are excited about making a mark, that mark will be excited and will be exciting to look at.”. When I approach a canvas the infinite potential of the unmarked surface inspires me to paint. I will have an idea, an emotion, or a personality in mind that generates initial colour choice. From there it is a combination of ideas, paint, and intuition that complete the work.

The underlying idea behind my painting is that people, emotional states, and opinions can be expressed in very abstract ways. My goal however, is not for viewers to decipher, or try and make sense of a painting, but rather to internalize the colours and energy and arrive at their own very personal emotional interpretation.