Artist Info
Carol Breen
Carol Breen was born in Calgary and grew up in Canmore, Alberta. She earned a diploma in textiles and painting from the Alberta College of Art in 1967 and studied printmaking at Keyano College in Fort McMurray in 1991. She attended the Boreal Forest Institute, also through Keyano College, in 1995 and 1996. Breen has completed diplomas from the Toronto Conservatory and the Mount Royal College Conservatory in speech arts and drama.
Breen’s fibre arts, jewellery, prints and paintings use colour and humour to reflect transformation, communication and travel. They have been described as complex, witty and playful. She draws inspiration for her work from history and global cultures combined with experiences she has had in her life. The themes she explores often have personal significance; for example, she sees and represents duality in the world through her experience as a twin sister, she often reflects teapots and rugs out of nostalgia for her childhood neighbour’s home or paints cats because of a friend who is a cat lover. Breen has been included in solo and group exhibitions across Canada, and in 1991 she was part of the Alberta Visions show at the Canadian Embassy in Japan. Her works are part of public and private collections in Canada, New York and Japan.
Breen was a member of the Alberta College of Art and Design faculty where she taught textiles, design, drawing, art fundamentals, colour and watercolour. In 1989, she moved to Fort McMurray, where she was an instructor at Keyano College. She is a member of the Alberta Society of Artists.
Compiled 2014
