Liz Toohey-Wiese

I am a settler artist living and working on the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. I hold an MFA from NSCAD University and a BFA in Painting from Emily Carr University.

My practice examines the history and contemporary relevance of landscape painting, with a focus on the environmental and cultural implications of wildfires in British Columbia. My MFA thesis explored the legacy of Canadian landscape painting, situating my work in dialogue with the Group of Seven. Since 2019, my artistic practice has centered on the topic of wildfires. Alongside my studio work, I co-publish Fire Season, an artist anthology on wildfires, with my collaborator Amory Abbott. This project gathers contributions from writers and visual artists worldwide, fostering a collective creative reflection on our increasingly flammable world.

I have participated in numerous artist residencies, including the Sointula Art Shed (2019), the Caetani Cultural Center (2020/2021/2022), Island Mountain Arts (2021), the Similkameen Artist Residency (2023), Artscape Gibraltar Point (2023), and the Klondike Institute for Arts + Culture (2024).

In January 2025, I will begin an Educational Leave to serve as a visiting artist and scholar at UBCO’s FEELed Lab, a feminist environmental humanities initiative led by Astrida Neimanis. At the lab, I will facilitate workshops on using art-making to process ecological grief. My current research also explores integrating mindfulness, Zen meditation, and psychoanalytic frameworks into approaches to climate change and its emotional impacts.

Beyond painting, I enjoy exploring craft-based practices like weaving, quilting and stained glass. When I’m not in the studio, you’ll find me hiking, swimming, or travelling on road trips to explore the diverse landscapes of British Columbia.