Bio

Kerry Ross is a Canadian painter born in Zimbabwe in 1972. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Calgary in 1995. The human form has been Kerry’s greatest muse and her landscape for expressing issues such as contemporary isolation and social marginalization.

Kerry’s focus is to explore, interrogate and examine the world. Her oil paintings capture imperfect identity, the individual experience and a precarious want for personal truth. Ultimately, Kerry’s artistic intent is to reveal a life and make prominent that which is not. They reveal the human condition, the nature of being and in turn open windows into a private self.

Kerry works primarily with oil paint on canvas or board. After being introduced to oil paint at the age of 13 she was instantly seduced by their rich pigments, deep saturation and optical depth. Through delicate glazing and rich textures, she can translate the warmth and vulnerability of human skin into a visceral sensory experience.

As an avid traveller and a keen observer, Kerry translates the complexity of modern existence onto canvas. She invites viewers to slow down and confront their own internal landscapes. On her world travels she is never without her notebook to record impressions/ideas and make quick sketches. To remind her of the experience she adds photography. Her photos serve as a literal reference for intricate details and structural accuracy when back in the studio. In addition, as an avid reader she is deeply inspired by the written word. Through her paintings Kerry attempts to translate complex intellectual ideas, narrative arcs and philosophical ideas into the rich, textured layers of oil paint.

Kerry’s award winning paintings can be found in private and public collections across Canada.