Spotlight On Russell Yuristy

'As a maker of images, Russell Yuristy is an illusionist, a magician of form who often looks to the fauna and flora of nature for his inspiration. (...) He is able to look beyond appearances and turn the seemingly banal into memorable images that remind us of our humanity and our links to an increasingly threatened natural environment. “  
—Anna Babinska, Curator


Russell Yuristy was born in Goodeve, Saskatchewan in 1936, and grew up on a farm that sparked his lifelong love of nature – trees, fish, animals and birds. An internationally recognized printmaker, painter and sculptor, Yuristy originally hails from the Saskatchewan art scene, where he contributed to the development of Regina Funk Art, using humour and mixed materials to create anti-consumer commentary.

During this time, he also founded the 'Creative Playground Workshop', through which he created public commissions: large wooden animal sculptures that doubled as play structures for children.



See more on Yuristy's playground art in this National Film Board minidoc, 'Giv'em a Half Turn'

Russell has called Ottawa home since 1985, moving into more wildlife-based drawings, prints and paintings, innovating mediums as he goes. Drawing on a practical respect for nature’s cycles of life-and-death as experienced on the farm, his works position his creatures as mirrors for the frailty and absurdity of the human experience.

Find a touching video profile by the Ottawa Art Gallery on Russell here.

His artwork can be found in the National Gallery of Canada, as well as the Ottawa Art Gallery, City of Ottawa Art Collection, Canada Council Art Bank, Mendel Art Gallery and Mackenzie Art Gallery. He is represented by Cube Gallery Ottawa. Other work by Russell can be found on line at cubegallery.ca