Joseph Plaskett

1918 - 2014

Joseph Plaskett graduated from the University of British Columbia, and continued his studies at the Vancouver School of Art. Before leaving for Paris in 1951, he traveled to San Francisco, New York, and London, for further studies in painting and drawing. The romance and society of Europe inspired Plaskett to paint. His chosen subjects have always been intimate expressions of everyday life – interiors, still life, and portraits of friends and models.

 After living in Paris for almost fifty years, Plaskett has moved to the quiet countryside of England, where he continues to paint. Since the 1940's he has had solo and group exhibitions in both public and private galleries. His works are in public art gallery collections from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver Island, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Joseph Plaskett is considered to be one of Canada’s most talented and established painters. In the spring of 2001, he was awarded The Order of Canada for excellence in the field of visual art. Most recently, the Plaskett Foundation was launched in 2004 to aid and support Canadian visual artists.