Janna Kumi

My practice operates between abstracted realism, modernism, and representative art. I am mostly interested in the form, function, and pattern occurring in seemingly insignificant components of the natural world. Building on my work as a forester and natural resource manager in British Columbia for 35 years, my present focus is on the microcosm of wood and bark - its textures, colours, and the life forms which inhabit this substrate. Working primarily with non-toxic colour pencils and ink on paper and wood, I create intimate portraits of tree bark, often in larger-scale work, celebrating what the eye often overlooks.

I gratefully acknowledge the support I received from the Canada Council for the Arts with two grants during 2019 - to 2022 which made this work possible and also enabled me to attain my Signature Status with the Federation of Canadian Artists in 2021.