Acclaimed VANCOUVER artist Ian Wallace has just received the $100,000 Audain Prize for Visual Arts, the province’s highest honor in the field.
A leader in conceptual art, Wallace has been exhibited across Canada and internationally, known for juxtaposing monochrome abstract painting and photography.
He received the Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts in 2004 and the Molson Prize in 2009. Wallace taught at what is now the Emily Carr University of Art and Design from 1972 to 1998.
“It is a great honor to present this award to one of British Columbia’s greatest living artists, Ian Wallace,” said Michael Audain, President of the Audain Foundation, in today’s announcement. . “In addition to having an exceptional international reputation, Mr. Wallace has had a considerable influence on young artists. The Audain Foundation wishes to see our best artists make themselves known. After all, British Columbia has many important visual artists who are not as widely recognized as they should be. With some of the best contemporary artists in the world, we believe they should be better known to all British Columbians.
Created in 1997, the Audain Prize has been awarded to winners such as Edward J. Hughes, Robert Davidson, Liz Magor, Rodney Graham, Stan Douglas and Paul Wong.