3 April – 7 July 2025
1640 Electra Boulevard, Sidney, BC
Daily, 3:30am – 1:30am
The venue at YYJ is the café area before security
About the Artist and Work:
Kris Friesen, a Victoria, BC artist, paints acrylic artworks that evoke the untamed dreams of nature. Since 1995, Kris has been captivating audiences with his large-scale murals and commissions using his passion for visual storytelling. Inspired by a transformative artist residency in Sachaqua Centro de Arte, Peru in 2014, Kris embarked on a journey of abstract realism, where he finds inspiration in the raw wonder of nature.
Kris starts with an action painting using large brush sweeps and spontaneously thrown paint, turning his feelings and subconscious physical through expression before adding a subject. This creative process is a dynamic interplay between instinctual brushwork and deliberate subject placement, resulting in captivating scenes that invite viewers to immerse themselves in the perspective of wildlife. Sometimes a painting does not reveal a space for a subject but stands alone as an abstract expression, as shown with several paintings in this exhibit.
Kris’ art portrays the essence of nature, capturing unique narratives in intimate encounters with the natural world. He melds abstract spontaneity with realistic wildlife and landscapes, inviting connection and contemplation outside of ourselves.
krisfriesen.com