Biography

Artist Gareth Bate. Photo: Saglara Kitchikova, 2012.

Gareth Bate

Hi, I'm a full time artist, curator and educator living in Toronto. I'm interested in our relationships with nature, our scale and place in the universe, and a search for personal meaning. I often reinterpret religious metaphors for a secular worldview. My practice is diverse and includes painting, installation, photography, video, performance and set design. I have a strong interest in experimenting with materials.

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OCAD University, Toronto.

Education

I was born in South Africa and moved to Oakvile, Ontario, Canada at a young age. We left because we didn't agree with the Apartheid regime. My mother was very supportive and kept every drawing I ever did. In high school I  spent a formative year in Grenoble, France on a Rotary International Youth Exchange.

In 2005 I graduated from the Adult Art Program at Central Technical School where I won “Outstanding Student” award two years in a row. I was made an honourary staff member for running the Art Alumni Network for the past 7 years. In 2007 I graduated with a BFA from the Ontario College of Art & Design (now OCAD University) where I won the 401 Richmond Career-Launcher Prize, a free studio given to one OCAD graduate for a year. I also won awards for painting, academics and art writing.

Gareth at the Deep Field exhibition at Gareth Bate Art Projects, 401 Richmond St. West, Toronto. Photo: Erin MacKeen,

Art Practice

I began to establish my art practice while using the free studio at the beautiful 401 Richmond building in Toronto. I then moved to a studio in the basement where I continue to work. I sometimes transforms the studio into a project gallery called Gareth Bate Art Projects.

I was chosen to represent emerging artists in the Toronto Star's extensive series "Artists in Real Life: The Up and Comers". My work has been featured in a number of reviews and magazines. I received an emerging artist grant from the Ontario Arts Council. I've exhibited at several Toronto galleries and as a set designer for contemporary dance in Montreal.

Gareth's studio at 401 Richmond St. West, Toronto.

Current

I'm currently engaged in a long term installation project called Jewel Net of Indra which involves painting 6765 miniature historical figures on mirrors which combine into massive web of interconnected human history.

I'm Festival Curator for the World of Threads Festival of contemporary fibre art in Oakville, Ontario. Every week along with Dawne Rudman I publish the "Weekly Fibre Artist Interviews" series with local, national and international fibre artists. So far we have published 120 interviews.

I launched Art World Untangled my guided tours of the Toronto art world. And my independent studio courses Art School Untangled which include "Outdoor Abstract Drawing" and "Colour Mixing Boot Camp."

Since 2008 I've worked as a night school art teacher at The Art Centre at Central Technical School. I teach two "Abstract Painting" courses, "History of Modern Art" and "Art History - The Masters."