Mary Seymour grew up in
Zimbabwe. After training as a High School Art teacher,
she pursued further art education in Canada at the University of Windsor,
Ontario receiving a B.F.A. (Hons.).
"As an immigrant ," she
says, "I am keenly aware of the vast population of displaced
people in our world today. Some have left home voluntarily
, others leave because of unviable economic and political
circumstances. I have a particular interest in the meanings
of home and homelessness, the world of the exile and the
emigre...."
Seymour graduated with
an M.F.A. from Norwich University, Vermont, USA in 1999. As
a figurative painter, interested in representing everyday
life, her paintings range from depictions of contemporary
family life to broader social commentary.
"My paintings often counter
tradition by concentrating attention on the poor and the
vulnerable," she says.
A member of both the Ontario
Society of Artists (1998) and the Society of Canadian Artists
(1999), she has received several awards. These include the
Lifetime Member's Award, O.S.A.124th Annual Open Juried
Exhibition, Toronto (1998); Honourable Mention, S.C.A.,
Annual Member's Juried Show, Toronto (2000) and Honourable
Mention, Best Painting Award, 37th Annual Toronto Outdoor
Art Exhibition (Juried) Toronto (1998), Ontario. Additionally,
one of her paintings, "Encounter", was selected for the
juried exhibit entitled OSA 2000: Representations held at
the Lieutenant-Governor's Suite, Queen's Park, Toronto.
Mary Seymour has exhibited
in Canada, the United States and in Zimbabwe.font>