Christian Butterfield – Experimental Landscapes

Just when you think it must be the end of inspiring ways to depict the Canadian landscape, there’s always a surprise.

Take Christian Butterfield’s Landscape 9 (Pokeweed), 2024, done in acrylic on linen, 48 x 60″ (above). Have a look at more landscapes like the ones below at Corkin Gallery, which represents him, here.

But Butterfield is not just doing landscapes. He is a rising experimental artist whose works are staking new ground. He also incorporates collage into his compositions to comment on contemporary society, often with humor or sarcasm.

In a series called Apology Flowers, newspaper clippings are the device. Butterfield says the series “attempted to reconcile past relationships with former friends, lovers, and acquaintances. My work offers a mirror for us to reflect on the common anxieties and experiences of navigating and maintaining relationships.”

Below, from a walk-through at the gallery for Butterfield’s newest works, in March, 2025.

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Christian Butterfield, mainly self-taught, was awarded a place in the School of Visual Arts Residency Program, Fine Arts: Contemporary Practices, New York City in June 2022. In 2018, he held a residency at the AKIN Studio Program at the Musuem of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Toronto. Corkin Gallery presented his inaugural solo exhibition, Green Light, in September 2021. His work has been included in a number of group shows at Corkin Gallery, including presentations at Art Toronto.

Christian Butterfield’s Instagram, here.

Images courtesy of the artist and Corkin Gallery in Toronto, here.