Yvonne Vander Kooi's art practice has embraced community, collaboration, education, public art and studio work. In the studio her painting practice moves between figuration and abstraction primarily using acrylic and oil on various sized canvasses and wooden panels. These semi-abstract figurative works have focused on experimentation, the materiality of the paint and evocative imagery. Her subjects have included the figure, portraiture, flora and fauna and the landscape. Her work has expanded into larger scale, narrative works that place the figure in resonant environments and are based on memory and family history, connecting to larger themes of immigration and war. Her current work takes place at the intersection of technological and family histories, personal and collective memory. Yvonne's work invites us to consider stories about people, places, and movement that are both personal and universal.
Born and raised in Ontario, she received her BFA in Michigan, and has lived in Toronto and Vancouver. She currently lives in Nanaimo with her family and two dogs. She has participated in numerous solos and group shows and in public art projects here on the island and has work in private and corporate collections.