Page 62 - WTP Vol. VIII #3

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Octopus Eyes
acrylic on canvas 30'' x 30''
Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Canadian artist Ferdinands holds a Visual Arts de- gree from York University, an ARCT (Piano) from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and Education degree from University of Toronto. She has exhibited widely for over three decades, including in Paris, Bogota, and Honolulu. She is the recipi- ent of many Arts Council grants and her paintings are featured in two Artbooks: Rethinking Acrylic (Northlight Books, 2008) and Acrylic Innovation (Northlight Books, 2010). Her paintings are held in private and corporate collections includ- ing the Standard Broadcasting Corporation, Franco-Nevada Mining, and Dresdner Bank of Canada. Museum collections include the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the Judith & Norman Alix Gallery, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Under the aus- pices of an OAC Grant, she was able to return to her homeland to be mentored in traditional arts and crafts that are culturally at risk. This experience served to enrich Ferdinands’ understanding of her Sri Lankan heritage and her sense of place within it. She also was awarded a Chalmers Fellowship to travel to London, England, to study Islamic Patterning.