Kyle Scheurmann
Kyle Scheurmann (b. 1988) centres his contemporary landscape paintings around the narratives of ecological crises in some of the most unique and threatened areas in Canada.
Bearing witness to environmental change, Scheurmann’s works on jute act as documents of destruction that at first glance present themselves as objects of beauty. Controlled brushwork and a nuanced colour palette give space for the artist to depict his lived experience as a ‘Forest Protector’.
In 2021, the artist was invited to participate in Eden Grove AiR, a residency at the Fairy Creek Blockades on the Unceded Pacheedaht Territory—the frontline for climate change. For four months, Scheurmann lived 65 kilometres from cell service down a logging road, painting en plein-air and immersing himself in camp life. During this period, Scheurmann experienced the injustices carried out by law enforcement, learning first-hand the legal frictions that have made national headlines. His time at Fairy Creek further galvanized his resolve to communicate these societal and cultural issues through his practice and tell a story: not as his own, but as one that affects us all.
Other residencies completed include Harvest Moon Society AiR, Clearwater MB (2021); Georgian Bay Land Trust, Georgian Bay ON (2020); Falcon Trails Artist in Residence, Falcon Lake MB (2018); and Kunstort ELEVEN Artspace, Starzach, Germany, (2018).
Listen to Kyle Scheurmann featured on CBC Radio
