Photo by Dean Holmes
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Laura Jane Petelko
Laura Jane Petelko is a Canadian photographic artist, currently based in Toronto, Canada. Having studied in Vancouver, Laura Jane began her career in the arts there in the early 2000’s. She documents times of deep transformation and collaborates with women to use their own bodies as media and message.
Petelko studied and worked as a master printer for west coast based photographic artists such as Harmony Korine, Kelly Wood, Roy Arden, and Mark Gilbert. Laura Jane was represented by Vancouver’s Third Avenue Gallery for several years before she moved back to Toronto.
Currently, Laura Jane is evolving two bodies of work. Featured here is the nostalgic and sparse Endless Gone series, which has been represented by Brussels-based Vogelsang Gallery and featured at the 2018 opening of the New York City’s Highline project by the late Zaha Hadid. The more enigmatic Soft Stories explores our longing for connection with nature and our sense of intimacy. It was featured by Scope Fair Miami in 2019 and in Blank Spaces magazine following her solo exhibition in Toronto in late 2019. Her photographs are characterized by their personal and intimate subject matter, often dealing with the nature of one’s identity and themes of transformation. Laura Jane’s work has been recognized and exhibited in Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Miami and New York. She has collectors in North America and Europe.
RELATED EDUCATION
1994 Vancouver Film School; Vancouver, BC, Canada
1995 Apprenticeship in fine art and commercial photographic printing; Pacifc Light Impressions, Vancouver, BC, Canada
1997–2001 Photographic production for fine art and commercial photographers; Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles; Ed Rusche, Scott McFarland, Kelly Wood, Harmony Korine, Jeff Wall and others.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 Lyceum Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada; Soft Stories
2019 Gitana Rosa, Artsy Brooklyn, NY, United States; Soft Stories
2019 Yorkville Village, Toronto, ON, Canada; Endless Gone
2012 Cava, Toronto, ON, Canada; Permanent Collection aquisition
2011 The Department Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada; Suit of Lights (in collaboration with Nick Fairhead)
2008 Skyworks Foundation; Selected images from Kids Care documentary flm
2003 Artemis Gallery, Seattle, WA, United States; Megan at 28
2003 Women of Wisdom conference, Seattle, WA, United States; Megan at 28
2002 Third Avenue Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Megan at 28
2001 Third Avenue Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Behold(her)
1999 Third Avenue Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Listen
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 The Lyceum Gallery, Dual exhibit with Patty Zuver
2020 Soft Stories, Arta Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada
2019 In the Mood, Endless Gone, Toronto, ON, Canada
2019 CAPUSA Gallery, New York, NY, United States; Scope Art Show Miami
2019 Art Wynwood, Miami, FL, United States; Soft Stories, Contemporary Arts Projects Miami
2018 Art Basel, Miami, FL, United States; Scope Art Show Miami, Contemporary Arts Projects Miami
2018 Cube Art Fair, Vogelsang Gallery, New York City, USA
2017 Nuit Rose Arts Festival, Toronto, ON, Canada
2005 CBC Radio 3 Canada wide Tour; Megan at 28
2004 Bjornsen Kajiwara Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Megan at 28
COMMISSIONS
2017 LuxtonLand, fashion branding campaign 2018
2011 Pop Sandbox, Kenk, Photographs of Igor Kenk
2009 Penguin Canada, Richard Poplack — The Sheik’s Batmobile
2006 A&M Music, Eric Z. Albums cover and promotional photogrpahy
2007 Shadow Shows, Promo portraits —The Tracey Fragments
2005 House of Anansi Press, book cover, Lisa Moore “Degrees of Nakedness”
2003 House of Anansi Press, book cover, Lisa Moore “Open”
2003 Lynn Crosbie — author, Radiant Boy
1997 Present ShadowShows, director, Bruce MacDonald; Writers, filmmakers, collaborators, includes portraits of Michael Ondaatje, Don Mckellar, Lynn Crosbie and others
COLLECTIONS
Cava Restaurant, Toronto, ON, Canada. Permanent acquisition.
Private collectors; Canada: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal; United States: New York, Texas, Miami; Germany: Dresden; New Zealand: Auckland; Spain: Valencia.
1997 Now Magazine Toronto, featured artist Sept 1997.
1997 CBC radio Canada interview for Listen.
1997 Exclaim magazine, featured artist for Listen.
1997 Xtra magazine Toronto, featured artist and interview for Listen.
1999 Vie Des Arts magazine. Featured exhibition and review for Behold(h)er.
2005 CBC Radio 3, feature and interview for Megan at 28.
2017 Out TV: Television interview for “T”., Nuit Rose Arts festival.
2020 Blank Spaces Magazine; Cover and insert feature interview for Soft Stories.
2020 Feature interview with Brussels based Art Beyond Borders.
Laura Jane Petelko
Laura Jane Petelko
