Eri Ishii was born in Japan and now lives in Vancouver working mostly in oil painting. Her work stems from love of oil paint as its buttery texture and depth of colours open a portal to a world inside of her. She has studied art at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Vancouver Life Drawing Society, and under the guidance of her late mentor, Norman Yates. She also holds a Master of Arts from University of British Columbia.
A winner of several awards, Eri has exhibited her work in over twenty solo shows and thirty group exhibitions across Canada and internationally including Centre A in Vancouver, Halde Galerie in Switzerland, and Taiwan National Art Museum in Taiwan. Her work can be found in public collections such as Vancouver General Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital, and Kobushi Rehabilitation in Japan.
Peonies in Garden
2020
Oil on canvas
20″ x 16″
$1,200.00
Rose Bush in Rain
2020
Oil on canvas
18″ x 14″
$1,000.00
Peonies
2020
Oil on canvas
20″ x 16″
SOLD
Roses on Balcony
2020
Oil on canvas
18″ x 14″
SOLD
Mentorship
Norman Yates (2001-2005)
Oil Painting Studies
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (2000)
Masters of Arts, Counselling Psychology
University of British Columbia (1998)
Art Studies
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (1996)
Awards
DTES Arts Award, Vancouver Foundation (2015)
DTES Arts Award, Vancouver Foundation (2010)
DTES Arts Award, Vancouver Foundation (2009)
Award of Merit, Delta Arts Council (2002)
Scholarship Project Award, BC Festival of the Arts (2001)
Residencies
Island Mountain School of Arts, Project for Professional Artists, Wells, BC (2002)
Island Mountain School of Arts, Project for Professional Artists, Wells, BC (2001)
Selected Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions
2016 “Towards”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2014 “Wrapped”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2013 “Everything Pink”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2011 “Collective Effort”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2010 “Home” Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2009 “Eri Ishii”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2008 “All I wanted”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2007 “It’s all Personal”, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2006 “Solitude”, Ian Tan Gallery Vancouver, BC
Eri Ishii & Curtis Cutshaw, Halde Gallerie Zurich, Switzerland
2005 Between, Campbell River & District Public Art Gallery, Campbell River, BC
When You Run, Seymour Art Gallery, Deep Cove, BC
2002 “Run”, Island Mountain Public Gallery, Wells, BC
“Run”, Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, Sechelt, BC
Selected Group Exhibitions
2018 UnThreaded, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Five Paintings Weekend Exhibition, Shadbolt Arts Centre, Burnaby BC
2017 Tree of Life, Taiwan National Art Education Museum, Taiwan
2011 “Urban Landscapes”, Elevation Gallery, Canmore, AB
2010 DTES Award Recipients Exhibition, Centre A, Vancouver, BC
2008 Group Show, Canvas Gallery, Toronto, ON
“SIX”, Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver, BC
“Unite with Art” Exhibition and Auction benefitting UNICEF, Vancouver, BC
2007 “Cyclops Dreams”, Third Space Gallery, Deep Cove, BC
2005 “Cyclops Dreams”, Access Artist-Run Centre, Vancouver BC
Fran Willis Gallery, Victoria, BC (2003-2004)
2004 “Face Up Front”, Glass Onion Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Group Show, Gallery 83, Vancouver BC
“Start with Art”, Seymour Art Gallery, Deep Cove, BC (2003-2004)
2003 “Artopolis 03: The Big Picture”, CBC Studios, Vancouver, BC
Figurative Works, Fran Willis Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Art for Life, Friends for Life Society, Vancouver BC (1999-2003)
2002 “artWORK 2002”, BC Festival of the Arts, Surrey, BC
“Valentine’s Show”, Versatile Gallery, North Vancouver, BC
“Artspacific”, Delta Art Gallery, Delta, BC
2001 “artWORK”, BC Festival of the Arts, Fort St. John, BC
Studio Blue, Vancouver, BC
2000 Aim for Arts: International Exhibition, Federation of Canadian Artists, Vancouver, BC
Public Art and Film Projects
2018 Atira Women’s Society, Mural, Vancouver, BC
2013 Radius, Mural, Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver, BC
2013 Lola’s Fourth Life, Film, Collaboration with Ian & Lola Penn, Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Curatorial Work and Special Projects
2018 Studio Director, Portside Studios, Vancouver BC
2018 Curator, Preview Shows, Eastside Culture Crawl Society, Vancouver BC (2013-2018)
2017 Board of Directors, Core Artist Live/Work Cooperative, Vancouver BC (2016-2017)
2017 Coordinator, Portside Studios, Vancouver, BC (2009-2017)
2016 Board of Directors, Eastside Culture Crawl Society, Vancouver BC (2013-2016)
2014 Artist Talk, Granville Street ArtWalk, Vancouver, BC
Vice Chair on the Board of Directors, Eastside Culture Crawl, Vancouver, BC
Juror, Opus Arts Competition, Vancouver, BC
Juror, Harmony Arts Festival, Vancouver, BC
2010 Chair on the Board of Directors, Artists Co-Operative, Vancouver, BC (2007-2010)
2006 Curator, Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver, BC (2004-2006)
2005 Artist Talk “Between”, Campbell River & District Public Art Gallery
Artist Talk “When you Run, Seymour Art Gallery, Deep Cove, BC
2002 Artist Talk “Run”, Island Mountain Public Gallery, Wells, BC
Publications
Art For Life, Friends for Life Society, Vancouver BC, 1999-2003
Artropolis, The Big Picture, Vancouver, BC, 2003
BC Festival of the Arts, artWORK 2002, Surrey, BC, 2002
BC Festival of the Arts, artWORK, Fort St. John, BC, 2001
Aim for Arts, International Exhibition, Vancouver, BC, 2000
Selected Media
Vancouver Sun, Kevin Griffin, Painting leads woman, Vancouver BC, 2013
Globe & Mail, “A little help with friends”, Vancouver BC, 2010
West Ender, “Artists’ Fight” by Mary Francis Hill, Vancouver BC, 2008
The Vancouver Courier, “East Side Art” by Cheryl Rossi, Vancouver BC, 2008
Georgia Straight, “Artist in Extinction” by Pieta Wooley, Vancouver BC, 2008
Essential Vancouver, “Old Language” by Bettina Matzkuhn, Vancouver BC, 2006
Michelle Hopkins: Lisa Birke, Eri; State of the Arts: Vancouver BC, 2006
Preview: The Gallery Guide, “Eri Ishii: Solitude” by Mia Johnson: Vancouver BC, 2006
North Shore Outlook , “In the Limelight” by Jennifer Maloney, North Vancouver BC, 2005
Jane Ma, “Eastside Culture”, Vision, Beijing, PR China, 2004
Westender: Artscetra, “Dozing Off” by Mary Francis Hill, Vancouver, BC, 2003
Westender: Artscetra, “Art-Theft” by Mary Francis Hill, Vancouver, BC, 2003
CBC Radio North, Follow-up with James Evans, 2002
CBC Radio North, Missing Treasures with James Evans, 2002
Sunshine Coast Cable TV, Arts Update with Nadina Tandy, 2002
Westender: Artscetra, “Arts Year” by Mary Francis Hill, Vancouver, BC, 2002
Westender: Artscetra, “Whip Shows” by Mary Francis Hill, Vancouver, BC, 2002
Vancouver Shinpo, “Eri Ishii Exhibits” by Kanna Kitakaze, Vancouver, BC, 2002
Quesnel Cariboo Observer, “Missing Painting” by Dorothea Funk, Quesnel, BC, 2002
Prince George Free Press, “Never Standing” by Jennifer Parks, Prince George, BC, 2002
Wells Community News, “Eri Ishii Run” by Tory Bowman, Wells, BC, 2002
Quesnel Cariboo Observer, “Art Exhibit” by Tory Bowman, Quesnel, BC, 2002
Coast Reporter: artBEAT, “Art on Beach” by Jen Degrass, Sechelt, BC, 2002
Ubyssey, “Eri Ishii Run” by Phoebe Wang, Vancouver, BC, 2002
North Shore News, “Ishii” by Layne Christensen, North Vancouver, BC, 2001
Pacific Rim Magazine, “Tone & Texture” by Kris Blizzard, Vancouver, BC, 2001
Collections
St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC
Kobushi Rehabilitation Centre, Myoko-shi, Nagano Pref., Japan