Peter Harris is a Toronto, Canada based artist who has explored themes involving the urban landscape in his oil paintings for over 25 years. His obsession with cities and urban life has been a constant in his work and life, as he transitioned from small town living as a child, to living in a mid-sized city as a youth, to finally living and working in the downtown core of Toronto.

His work portrays the common elements of the city: parking lots, buildings, gas stations, restaurants, subways, etc. These often overlooked aspects of the urban environment are presented as an opportunity to re-examine the spaces we inhabit. Painted in a crisp, realist manner, his paintings are recognizable for their depictions of urban settings at night, absent of people.

Peter graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1997 with a degree in Fine Arts, and in the years since has exhibited his work in cities across North America, including Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Vancouver and New York City. His work can be found in private collection in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Peter-Harris-Escalator-28x38-Online-Art-Galleries

Escalator

2020
Oil on canvas
28″ x 38″
$4,900.00

Peter-Harris-Lobby-At-7-30x32-Online-Art-Galleries

Lobby At #7

2016
Oil on canvas
30″ x 32″
SOLD

Peter-Harris-Waiting-On-Arrivals-32-x-38-Online-Art-Galleries

Waiting On Arrivals

2018
Oil on canvas
32″ x 38″
SOLD

Peter-Harris-7-Eleven-At-Midnight-30x46-Online-Art-Galleries

7 Eleven At Midnight

2014
Oil on canvas
30″ x 46″
SOLD

Peter-Harris-A-Lower-Level-34-x-48-Online-Art-Galleries

A Lower Level

2019
Oil on canvas
34″ x 48″
SOLD

Peter-Harris-Exit-With-Rothko-And-Johns-26x36-Online-Art-Galleries

Exit With Rothko And Johns

2019
Oil on canvas
26″ x 36″
SOLD

Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours, Studio Specialization
University of Waterloo (1993-1997)

Awards and Residency
Mid-Career Project Grant, Ontario Arts Council (2014)
Travel Grant, Canada Council for the Arts (2014)
Grant Recipient, Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation (2012)
Mid-Career Grant, Ontario Arts Council (2011)
Artist Residency, Fundación Valparaíso, Mojácar, Spain (2007)
Artist Residency, The Julia and David White Artists’ Colony, Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica (2005)
Grant Recipient, Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation (2005)
Project Grant, Waterloo Region Arts Fund (2004)
Wyndham Art Supply Award, Wellington City Museum & Archives, Elora, ON (2002)
1st Prize, 14th Annual Miniature Exhibition, Michael Gibson Gallery, London, ON (2001)
Exhibition Grant, Ontario Arts Council (2001)
Juror’s Choice Award, Opened Juried Exhibition, The Library & Gallery, Cambridge, ON (1999)
Artist-in-Residence, Visiting Artist Series for Kitchener City Hall, Kitchener, ON (1999)
Nancy-Lou Patterson Works on Paper Award, University of Waterloo (1996)

Solo Exhibitions
2016 ‘Conversations with Hopper”, Galerie D’Este, Montréal, QC
2015 “New Canadian Landscapes”, ByWard Market Gallery, Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, ON
“New Canadian Lanscapes”, The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay, ON
“Urban Landscapes”, The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay, ON
“Night Watch”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
2014 “Night Shift”, Galerie d´Este, Montréal, QC
2013 New Paintings, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
2011 New Paintings, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
2010 “Montreal suite”, Shayne Gallery, Montréal, QC
2009 New Paintings, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
2008 New Paintings, Shayne Gallery, Montréal, QC
“Urban Landscapes”, Marten Arts, Bayfield, ON
2007 New Paintings, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
2006 “The Spaces Between”, Robert Langen Gallery, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON
2002 “Inside5”, Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener City Hall, Kitchener, ON
2000 “Urban Planner”, Robert Langen Gallery, Sir Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON
“Sunday Dinner Series”, Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener City Hall, Kitchener, ON
1999 “Cathedral Series Drawings”, Princess Cinema Gallery, Waterloo, ON

Selected Group Exhibitions
2016 Summer Group Show, Ian Tan Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2015 “Artist and Model”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Landscape/Cityscape”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Preview 2015”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
Toronto International Art Fair (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto ON
2014 Toronto International Art Fair (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto ON
2013 “A Distant Intimacy” Two-Person show with Barry Smylie, The Arts Centre, BMFA, Collingwood, ON
Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
2012 Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
SF Fine Art Fair, (Ian Tan Gallery), San Francisco, CA, USA
2011 “Review 2009”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
2010 “Preview 2011”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Landscape-Cityscape”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Fiat Luxe”, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY, USA
Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
2009 “Review 2009”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
“New Paintings” Two-Person show with Sharon Gordon, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY, USA
Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
“Preview 2009”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Night”, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY, USA
2008 Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
“Reflections on Spring”, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, NY, USA
2007 “Review-2007”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
2006 Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
2005 “Lost Paradise”, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, New York, USA
“Landscape-Cityscape”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
Three New Artists, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
“Winter Landscapes”, Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto, ON
Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
2004 Rotunda Gallery 10th Anniversary Salon Exhibition, Rotunda Gallery, Kitchener, ON
“Present Tense”, Oxford Gallery, Rochester, New York, USA
“Homecoming”, University of Waterloo Art Gallery, Waterloo, ON
“Antecedents”, Artery Gallery, Kitchener, ON
“Insights”, Wellington County Museum & Archives, Elora, ON
Toronto International Art Fair, (Mira Godard Gallery), Toronto, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
2002 The Affordable Art Fair, (Michael Gibson Gallery), New York City, NY, USA
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
1st kw/ag biennial, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, ON
2002 “On Canvas”, Delicia Art Haus, Toronto, ON
“Art Strikes Back”, Armoury Room, Colony Hotel, Toronto, ON
“Insights”, Wellington County Museum & Archives, Elora, ON
2001 “Convergence”, Gallery 96, Stratford, ON
New Paintings, Wagner Rosenbaum Gallery, Toronto, ON
14th Annual Miniature Exhibition, Michael Gibson Gallery, London, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference, University of Waterloo, ON
2000 “Twin Dogs”, Art at the Union, Toronto, ON
KOR Show, Kitchener Public Library, Kitchener, ON
“Animals= Voice”, Walper Gallery, Kitchener, ON
“Quota”, KOR Gallery and Studio, Kitchener, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
1999 Open Juried Exhibition, Cambridge Galleries-The Library & Gallery, Cambridge, ON
KOR Gallery & Studios Group Exhibition, Walper Gallery, Kitchener, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
1998 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON
1997 “Best Before”, Modern Languages Gallery, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
“Yucatan MCMXCVII”, Fine Arts Gallery, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON

Collections
Suncor, Mississauga, ON
Colart Collection, Montréal, QC
Pioneer Petroleum, Burlington, ON
Tech Capitol Partners, Waterloo, ON
OPSEU, Toronto, ON
KSAL, Erfurt, Germany
Real Facilities, Toronto, ON
Private Collections in North America & Europe

Publications
Street Artist, Mathew Blackett, Spacing Magazine, p.8, April 1, 2015
Lindsay Gallery hosts exhibition highlighting shift in Canadian Landscape, Jamie Steel, Kawartha Lakes This Week, February 4, 2015
Artist Peter Harris paints what’s rarely noticed, Hilary Caton, Parkdale Villager, December 25, 2014
Nighthawk, Rachel Heinrichs, Toronto Life,P. 88,89, March 2013
Landscape/Cityscape, David Balzer, ARTnews, P.133, October 2010
The Space Between, Rebecca Rafferty, CITY Rochester, September 23, 2009
tv Interview, Designer Guys, Episode 14, HGTV, August 1, 2004
The Spaces Between, Robert Reid, The Record, C1, June 30, 2006
tv interview, Bravo, February 5, 2005
Urban Lifestyle, Robert Reid, The Record, P. C1, March 5, 2005
Domestic Destiny, Robert Brandstetter, Echo, P.9, January 3, 2002
Work of three artists forms “Convergence”, Beacon Herald staff, The Beacon Herald, P. 10, October 22, 2001
Gallery 96 features three Kitchener Artists, Record Staff, K-W Record, P. F8, October 20, 2001
So much meat on the wall, Lynn Jackson, K-W Record, P. D19, August 10, 2000
tv interview, On the Beat, CKCO-TV, August 2, 2000
Of Bizzareries and Delicatesse, Karoline Varin Jarkowski, Echo, P.16, September 9, 1999
Sometimes a Banana is Just a Banana, D. Zachariah, Imprint, P.20, May 3, 1996

Special Projects
Lecture “The Spaces Between”, Visual Arts Dept., Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON (2007)
Lecture “The Spaces Between”, Geography Dept., Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON (2006)
Artist Talk, K W Society of Artists for the Visiting Artist Series, Kitchener City Hall, Kitchener, ON (2000)