Artist Information
Hilda Oomen
Born & raised in Kingston, Ontario, Hilda Oomen completed a BFA from Queen’s University in 1984, followed by a summer in the Young Resident Artists program at The Banff Centre.
After almost a decade living and working as an artist in Toronto she moved to a rural area to pursue her work in landscape & still life painting and also to pursue gardening on a larger scale. She has received several grants in support of her work and has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions.
She lives and works near Kingston, Ontario.
“I have spent years working in gardens, both as a means of support and, at times, as a creative substitute for painting itself. The imagery and experience of that time continues to be the inspirationfor my work.
In earlier years I worked in mainly large country gardens overlooking expansive rural landscapes throughout the Mulmur Hills of Ontario. My paintings flowed directly from that experience; large landscapes overlaid with smaller mosaic-like floral insets. Over the years the larger landscape fell away and the painting & subject became predominately flowers, sometimes combined with china, fruit and other still life objects, set against a painterly backdrop. There is a more intimate and personal focus in my use of still life as subject matter. The paintings have become increasingly smaller over the years. It allows for a simplified and strong focus and the ability to paint quickly and daily. I am obsessed with capturing that beauty of flowers in strong light and simplifying in paint the complex interplay of light, colour, form and reflection.” -Hilda Oomen (2018)
Education
1984 The Banff Centre, Young Resident Artists Program
1984 Queen’s University BFA, Honours
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Bloom, Jan 18 – Feb 11th 2020 Ottawa, Ontario
2017 Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Still Life, December 7th – Dec 23, Ottawa, Ontario
2014 Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Still Life, Borrowed Landscape, December 4th-22, Ottawa, Ontario
1992 Robert Birch Gallery, New Work, Toronto, Ontario
1991 The Art Gallery of Mississauga, Inside/Outside, Symbolic Landscape Paintings
1990 Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Painting & Collage, Hart House, University of Toronto
1989 The Samuel J. Zacks Gallery, Recent Paintings, York University, Toronto, Ont.
1988 The Homer Watson House & Gallery, Paintings & Collage, Kitchener, Ont.
1987 The Kingston Artists Association, Recent Paintings & Collage, Kingston, Ont.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 Wallace Galleries, New Year’s Group Show, Calgary, Alberta, Jan 2-23
2018 Wallace Galleries, Holiday Group Show, Calgary, Alberta, Nov-Dec
2009 Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Hilda Oomen + Sharon Thompson + Simon Andrew, Ottawa
2008 Galerie D’Avignon, “Now Representing” Group show, Montreal
2006 Cube Gallery, Efflorescence, Ottawa
1994 Birganart Gallery, Off the Wall, Toronto, Ontario
1991 Art Gallery of Peel, Hilda Oomen & Marianne Lovink, Brampton, Ont.
1988 Erindale Campus Art Gallery, Five New Painters, University of Toronto
1988 The Library & Gallery, Discord & Harmony, Two Person Show, Cambridge, Ont.
1984 The Walter Phillips Gallery, The Young Resident Artists Exhibition, Banff, Albert
1983 Agnes Etherington Art Gallery, BFA on View, Juried group exhibition, Queen’s University
1983 Agnes Etherington Art Gallery, BFA on View, Juried group exhibition, Queen’s University
Grants & Awards
2009 The Ontario Arts Council, Project Grant Mid Career Artist
1991 The Ontario Arts Council, Short Term Grant
1991 The Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant
1990 The Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant
1989 The Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant
1988 The Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant
1987 The Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant
1984 The Andre Bieler Prize, Queen’s University
1984 The Molson’s Scholarship, The Banff Centre
1980 The Frontenac County Bursary, Full University Tuition Bursary
International Women’s Day Group Exhibition e-Catalog 2021
International Women’s Day Group Exhibition 2021: #ChooseToChallenge
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.