BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Arthur John Ensor

January 2 1905 - January 18 1995

Royal College of Art (graduate)
Royal Canadian Academy (RCA elect 1976)


John Ensor was born in Llanishen, Wales. His parents moved to Canada when he was young, but he returned to Europe to study art in Florence and London, graduating from the Royal College of Art.

He visited BC for a period of time beginning in 1939. He exhibited artwork in the 1940 and 1941 B.C. Artists exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery, he also had solo exhibitions in 1939 and 1940. The artist was living in Victoria at the time.

He returned to England during WWII, then returned to live in eastern Canada in 1947 where he established the Ensor Industrial Design Association. In 1988 he was living in Ottawa, ON. He died in Sidney, BC in 1995 at the age of 90, survived by his wife Barbara Wells.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1939 Nov. 21 - Dec. 3 Paintings and Etchings (42 artworks) VAG
1940 Nov. 12 - 24 Watercolours VAG

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 VAG   B.C. Artists 9th Annual J.G. Edwards, Esq.
Henry Bulwer, Esq.
Castaway
Fifth Avenue, New York
1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 VAG   B.C. Artists 10th Annual Fraser Canyon
The Dry Belt, Kamloops
Summer's Store

References

CANADIAN ART VOLUME ONE / A - F
      Catalogue of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
      General Editors: Charles C. Hill / Pierre B. Landry
      1988, National Gallery of Canada; ISBN 0-88884-545-6
      32 pages front matter; 406 pages catalogue; index
      Includes brief biography of Ensor and one work illustrated.

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)
      Full page biography, numerous references.

ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979 (refer to RCA81)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
     7 references to Ensor (M not noted).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_John_Ensor

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE death (refer to BCVS)

Clippings

"The present exhibition (Ed.: 1939 solo) consists of paintings made during wanderings in England, Scandinavia, Italy and France. Mediums used include watercolour, lithography, etchings, and chalk drawings."
      From Art Gallery Bulletin, Vol. 7, No. 4

"The customary honorable mentions have been made as follows: Watercolors: ... John Ensor, Victoria, "Henry Bulwer, Esq." ..."
      From "Major Art Award to CASF Officer At B.C. Artists' Annual Exhibit"
      Vancouver Sun, October 7 1940

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