Elizabeth Dyer

Elizabeth Dyer: The Essence of Truth Through Contemporary Portraiture

Elizabeth Dyer, a Canadian female artist, unravels a narrative on canvas that transcends the tangible. Her contemporary portraits, a fusion of pencil and oil on Venetian marble, exhale with a palpable, almost sculptural, and ethereal quality. Each stroke carries the essence of truth, as if the portrait is an observer, watching you or emerging from the very canvas.

Intrigued by portraiture from a young age, Elizabeth drew inspiration from artists like Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, David Hockney, and others. Her home serves as a gallery of fascination, adorned with portraits that mirror her love for line work, femininity, and abstract brushwork. European summers in her youth and a family deeply connected to creativity and gardening shaped Elizabeth's aesthetic sensibilities. Immersed in wild gardens, historical buildings, and the studies of old masters, she developed an enduring affinity for beauty—an element that continues to permeate her work. Her art reflects a blend of timidity and keen observation cultivated during these formative years.

In her portraiture, Elizabeth likes to observe, understand, and capture the energy and character of each subject, from their everyday gestures to their overall character. The gaze of each subject becomes a defining moment and a unique aspect of her work.

Elizabeth studied Fine Art, Art History, and Women's Studies at the University of Guelph in Canada, followed by a postgraduate degree from Chelsea College of Art in London in 2006.

After London, Elizabeth returned to Toronto, immersing herself in the world of large-scale murals and exploring the chemical components of painting under the guidance of a master painter. It was during this period that she embarked on a transformative journey with Venetian plaster, a medium that would become integral to her distinctive style.

Elizabeth's portraits transcend the ordinary; they aspire to capture the soul, the contemplative nature of the subjects. Whimsical and airy, her work creates space for the energy of the portrayed individuals. What sets Elizabeth apart in her artistic evolution is not only how she manages to bring out the true essence of her portraits but also the treatment of the work as sculptural, with layers of Venetian marble—a method she adopted around fifteen years ago. Venetian plaster, with its tactile allure, imparts luminosity and a tangible sculptural feeling, preserving the subtleties of each layer of paint.

Elizabeth had several exhibitions in London and Canada and recently participated in The Women and Art Fair in London and The Other Art Fair London.