Canadian artist Lawren Harris (1885-1970) is internationally renowned for his iconic paintings of the Northern wilderness. We are excited to share his work with Nanaimo audiences through the exhibition Lawren Harris: Canadian Visionary, which opens at the Nanaimo Museum this fall. As a founding member of the influential Group of Seven painters, Harris was a driving force in the development of modernist painting in Canada. He saw artistic and cultural potential in the nation’s vast landscapes, and his distinct painting style helped to define Canadian art in the early twentieth century. 

The travelling exhibition Lawren Harris: Canadian Visionary comes to Nanaimo on loan from Vancouver Art Gallery and presents key works from the Gallery’s collection that follow Harris’ artistic evolution from the early 1900s to the early 1960s, including paintings from the groundbreaking Group of Seven period and later experiments in abstraction that reflect his efforts to root his work in a universal language rather than a specific national landscape.

“We’re thrilled that works by such a significant Canadian artist will be on public exhibit in our community. This exhibit is only possible in our community because of a strong working relationship between the Nanaimo Museum and the Nanaimo Art Gallery.” 

                –Debbie Trueman, General Manager at the Nanaimo Museum

Lawren Harris: Canadian Visionary is organized and circulated by the Vancouver Art Gallery with the generous support of the Killy Foundation and is curated by Ian M. Thom, Senior Curator-Historical, Vancouver Art Gallery.