Kim Dorland has established himself as a key contributor to contemporary painting, actively investigating its expressive and narrative potential and the physicality of paint. The subject of Dorland’s work is rooted in personal experience. His autobiographical images explore a range of subjects including the figure, natural landscapes and urban environments that reference memories from his adolescence and more recent family life.

Dorland has become recognized for paintings that occupy a space between representation and abstraction. His images are given physical form through his uniquely maximal approach to paint application. Energetic gesture, florescent pigment, and thick impasto surfaces define Dorland’s signature style.

Born in Wainwright, Alberta in 1974, Dorland spent most of his youth in Red Deer, Alberta. With the support of his partner, Lori Seymour and her family, he found a solid direction in the pursuit of his art. He completed his BFA at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and his MFA at York University in Toronto, Ontario.

Dorland has shown internationally in Milan, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. His work is included in numerous collections including the Sander Collection (Berlin); Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal; Musée d’art Contemporain du Montréal; Art Gallery of Alberta (Edmonton); Glenbow Museum (Calgary); Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and numerous private collections.

For recent articles about Kim Dorland published in the Calgary Herald, please click on the links below:

"Dorland returns with exhibition featuring new work." January 30, 2015.

"Kim Dorland comes home to Alberta an art star." November 25, 2014