Portrait of David Roman by Paul Robert Turner

Paul Robert Turner

Home: Toronto, Ontario
Title: Portrait of David Roman
Media: Oil on panel / huile sur panneau
Dimensions: 60 x 75.5 cm
Website: www.paulrobertturner.com

A patron of the arts and a collector of my work, David commissioned this painting as a gift to his long time partner David Osaki. With this painting my challenge was to capture my subject and a sense of emotional depth with a single expression. Without the crutches or conventions of a significant background or objects and without knowing the subject personally does the viewer receive a sense of the subjects self? Effortlessly, one can present a portrait of a certain quality or expression and a narrative is subsequently implied, the real challenge of portraiture to me is to shape that initial response from the viewer into one that holds true and relevant to the subject. Regardless, with every portrait I attempt to capture one thing; a balance between hope and sorrow that I believe runs to the centre of everyone of us.

EDUCATION:
1998 Ontario College of Art and Design, A.O.C.A.D. Drawing and Painting
1997 OCAD Independent Study Program, Florence, Italy
1993 Creative Arts County Program, Q.E.C.V.I, Kingston ON

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2009 November- Solo Exhibition Wallspace Gallery, Ottawa
2006 A Measurable But Limited Duration XEXE Gallery, Toronto
2004 Experts Are Standing By, AWOL Gallery Toronto
2000 Suspension, AWOL Gallery, Toronto

GROUP EXHIBITIONS: 

  • 2009 Artist Project Toronto, Liberty Grand, Toronto
  • 2008 Forget About the Big Picture, Duo Exhibition with Dale Thompson, AWOL Gallery, Toronto; Inaugural Exhibition, Wallspace Gallery, Ottawa; 47th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto; AAF Contemporary Art Fair, AWOL Gallery, New York; AR&S Exhibition, Jean and Ross Fisher Gallery, Art Gallery of Hamilton; The Artist Project, Liberty Grand, Toronto; The Best of 2007- First Canadian Place Gallery, Toronto
  • 2007 Bridge Art fair- AWOL Gallery, Miami; Toronto International Art Fair, XEXE Gallery, Toronto; Kingston Prize Portrait Competition, Fire hall Theatre, Gananoque; Square Foot 2007, AWOL Gallery, Toronto; 46th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto; AAF Contemporary Art Fair, New York, NY
  • 2006 Sleepwalker/daydreamer, The Manifold Project, XEXE Gallery group exhibition, Nuit Blanche, Toronto; Square Foot 5, AWOL Gallery, Toronto; 45th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto; AAF Contemporary Art Fair, New York, NY
  • 2005 Square Foot New York, Project Spaceman, Brooklyn, NY; The AAF Contemporary Art Fair, New York, NY; Square foot 3, AWOL Gallery Toronto; Something for Everyone, XEXE Gallery Toronto; 44th Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto
  • 2004 Toronto International Art Fair, AWOL Gallery, Toronto; Square Foot 2, AWOL Gallery, Toronto; 44hth, Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Philips Square, Toronto; Worship, Ontario Artist Association annual juried exhibition, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto

AWARDS:
2009 Emerging Artist Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2007 People’s Choice Award, Kingston Prize Portrait Competition; Honorable Mention, Painting/Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
2006 Production Grant -The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation
2004 Lifetime Members Award, Ontario Artists Association, Worship exhibition