b  i  o  g  r  a  p  h  y
 

Born and raised in the small town of Oberhausen, Baden in southwest Germany, I enjoyed growing up in an artistic family environment. My father operated a decorative arts and design business during his younger years. He was a skilled watercolourist, sign painter and calligrapher. The creative side of my mother was expressed in her keen eye for detail and design in everything she did, from floral arrangements to crafts of any kind. One of my brothers is a renowned mixed-media artist with an extensive exhibition record and numerous publications.

 


When I was in my early twenties, I chose to make Canada my new home. After a few years of immersing myself into the Canadian culture, I decided to further my art education at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, where I graduated with honors in 1988 with a specialist in Drawing and Painting. After completing a B.A. at the University of Toronto (’90) and B.Ed. at Nipissing University (’91), I have worked as artist and educator in Toronto, Canada.

 

My artwork can be found in private and corporate collections in Canada, Germany and the US. The Chest of Hope torso sculptures were featured on Breakfast Television, CityTV, Toronto (October

2007) and Rogers Television ‘In Toronto’, with Host Veronica Chail (May 2007).

 

Over the past 20 years, I have produced figurative work and still life compositions on canvas, paper and wood. In recent years, I have developed a passion for mosaic sculpture, which was fuelled by my love for surface texture and pattern.

 

In the fall of 2006, I brought to life the CHEST OF HOPE Torso Art Project to raise funds for breast cancer research and breast health advocacy. It involves the creation of unique torso sculptures cast on volunteer models, some of whom are breast cancer survivors. This has been the most rewarding art project I have undertaken to date, as it allows me to engage in social activism in a time when the concept of ‘Hope’ provides much needed encouragement for many.

Download 3-page PDF of Curriculum Vitae (52.7KB)
 

Canadian Artist Christa Gampp ©2009