Teresa Posyniak

Having received her B.F.A. in painting and lithography at the University of Regina in 1981 and her M.F.A. in sculpture at the University of Calgary, Posyniak went on to teach at the Alberta College of Art and Design throughout the eighties, and also at the University of Calgary. Posyniak is represented in many private and public collections, both national and international, including The Glenbow Museum, The City of Calgary Civic Art Collection and The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Collection. A recipient of many art awards and grants from the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments as well as The Canada Council, Teresa has exhibited both her two and three-dimensional work across Canada. Her public sculpture, Lest We Forget, a memorial to 135 murdered Canadian women, was permanently installed at the University of Calgary in 1994.

Since the late eighties, her focus has been on painting and drawing the subject of the human figure (mainly women) using the encaustic (hot wax) medium. In keeping with her constant themes of vulnerability and resiliency, Posyniak's figures reflect a contemplative and emotive reality which relates to her keen interest in social issues and world politics. Her artwork ranges in mood from meditative to disturbing, but she is always obsessed with the beauty of the human body and its relationship to its environment Through her social activism, Posyniak has encountered many courageous individuals in the community who have inspired her expansive portrait series.