About the Painter
Christopher Arthur Pew
As a child, the Three Stooges taught me that anything is possible, such as mixing plumbing with electricity, sawing your friend out of a tight place, and that oysters can still attack, even after being cooked in a soup. I was drawn to the absurd and unbelievable and decided to draw it. If I was jumping off a shed attempting to fly with bed sheets or creating a life-sized gream reaper made out of snow and ice. I have no doubt in my mind that way I looked at the world as a child would stay with me into adult life.
I grew up in Lowbanks Ontario, Canada. A small community nestled along Lake Erie's shoreline. Even as a child, I had a fascination with art and drawing, and to avoid as many chores as I could I would spend countless hours crafting intricate sketches and vibrant paintings for friends and family.
After completing a design course at Niagara College in 1988, I shifted my focus slightly away from painting and drawing and decided to dive into the realm of graphic design. From 1988 to 2002, I worked as a graphic artist and illustrator for websites, newspapers, and magazines for nearly fourteen years. In November of 2003, I figured I had designed enough shoe ads for a lifetime. It was then that I took a step away from the confines of corporate life as a full-time graphic artist, and took a "leap of faith" to pursue that burning desire to continue to paint and draw. Amidst the challenges of raising a family and the responsibilities of everyday life, I slowly gained commission work, gradually securing shows and exhibitions where I could showcase my work.
My current body of work reflects the world around me and my experiences both inside and outside my head, with each piece serving as an interpretive narrative. By using symbolism embedded in the visual elements of my subject matter, my goal is to invite viewers on a journey of self-discovery, hoping they will navigate their own introspective landscapes - as I did creating them. I focus most of my work on how the figures and subject matter play with light and shadow. My hope is that my artwork offers a captivating odyssey into the complexities of the human experience.
My work has been shown in galleries in the United States and Canada.
Subscribe to my newsletter and receive updates on exhibitions, showings, special events, new paintings, video uploads and much more. Or follow me on Instagram.
After completing a design course at Niagara College in 1988, I shifted my focus slightly away from painting and drawing and decided to dive into the realm of graphic design. From 1988 to 2002, I worked as a graphic artist and illustrator for websites, newspapers, and magazines for nearly fourteen years. In November of 2003, I figured I had designed enough shoe ads for a lifetime. It was then that I took a step away from the confines of corporate life as a full-time graphic artist, and took a "leap of faith" to pursue that burning desire to continue to paint and draw. Amidst the challenges of raising a family and the responsibilities of everyday life, I slowly gained commission work, gradually securing shows and exhibitions where I could showcase my work.
My current body of work reflects the world around me and my experiences both inside and outside my head, with each piece serving as an interpretive narrative. By using symbolism embedded in the visual elements of my subject matter, my goal is to invite viewers on a journey of self-discovery, hoping they will navigate their own introspective landscapes - as I did creating them. I focus most of my work on how the figures and subject matter play with light and shadow. My hope is that my artwork offers a captivating odyssey into the complexities of the human experience.
My work has been shown in galleries in the United States and Canada.
Subscribe to my newsletter and receive updates on exhibitions, showings, special events, new paintings, video uploads and much more. Or follow me on Instagram.
CV, AWARDS, SHOWS
Education
2017 - Studio Escalier Contemporary Classical Art Center Argenton-Chateau, France Selected Exhibitions Group &Solo Live Drawing Event & Demonstration Cuenca, Ecuador - October 2025
Solo Private ShowNiagara, Ontario, Canada - April, 2019
Solo Private ShowSt. Catharines, Ontario, Canada - September, 2018
Mount Carmel Group ShowNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - July, 2015
Mount Carmel Group ShowNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - July, 2012
Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts Solo ShowHamilton, Ontario, Canada - November, 2010
Sunnyside Beach ExhibitToronto, Ontario, Canada - August, 2009
R@Gallery Duo Show ExhibitNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - August, 2008
Willowbank Art ShowQueenston, Ontario, Canada - August, 2007
Toronto Art ShowToronto, Ontario, Canada - July, 2006
Pumphouse Solo ExhibitNiagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canad - February, 2006
Port Dalhousie Group ExhibitPort Dalhousie, Ontario, Canad - July, 2005
2017 - Studio Escalier Contemporary Classical Art Center Argenton-Chateau, France Selected Exhibitions Group &Solo Live Drawing Event & Demonstration Cuenca, Ecuador - October 2025
Solo Private ShowNiagara, Ontario, Canada - April, 2019
Solo Private ShowSt. Catharines, Ontario, Canada - September, 2018
Mount Carmel Group ShowNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - July, 2015
Mount Carmel Group ShowNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - July, 2012
Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts Solo ShowHamilton, Ontario, Canada - November, 2010
Sunnyside Beach ExhibitToronto, Ontario, Canada - August, 2009
R@Gallery Duo Show ExhibitNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - August, 2008
Willowbank Art ShowQueenston, Ontario, Canada - August, 2007
Toronto Art ShowToronto, Ontario, Canada - July, 2006
Pumphouse Solo ExhibitNiagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canad - February, 2006
Port Dalhousie Group ExhibitPort Dalhousie, Ontario, Canad - July, 2005
Latest News
There will be a screening of the Wildfolk Movie at the Mighty Niagara Film Festival 2024
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