Andrew Cheddie Sookrah is a Toronto-based painter, sculptor and fine art instructor

 

REPRESENTED BY

Westland Gallery / The Art Exchange, London, Ontario

RECENT PAINTING EXPEDITIONS

Algonquin, 2020

Artist In Residence, Out Of The Northwest Passage, Arctic with Adventure Canada, September 2019

Hangzhou, China, 2018

Sable Island, 2017

Pelee Island, 2017

Shanghai, Suzhou, China, 2016

Nanzing, China, 2016

Haida Gwaii, Canada, 2016, painting, kayaking, camping expedition

Gros Morne, Newfoundland, Canada, 2015

Dingle, Ireland, 2014, 2015

Arctic Quest, Canadian Arctic, Greenland, 2006

Sookrah is a raw colourist whose free brushwork is confident and powerful. His strengths can be seen in his strong sense of design, exquisite use of effective composition, confident presentation of bold colours… and in his figurative and portraiture work, his capturing the essence of the human spirit.

His is a masterful expression of the unity of nature.

Andrew Cheddie Sookrah was born in Guyana in 1956. In Georgetown he attended Queen’s College where he was recognized for his artistic expression from an early age having won the school’s art prize in 1971. At age 16, Sookrah started working as a designer and illustrator at Ace Advertisers (Georgetown, Guyana), and quickly moved into the role of the company art director.

In 1974 Sookrah immigrated to Canada and attended multidisciplinary continuing education programs at the Ontario College of Art (OCA), George Brown College and Ryerson University. His beginnings in design and illustration opened a life of parallel passions. While continuing to paint and carve out his artistic existence, Sookrah involved himself in advertising and opened Engine Room Creative, a successful design development studio and advertising & marketing agency in Toronto. As the Creative Director of Engine Room, he has worked on provincial and national campaigns, as well as international campaigns in the US and UK.

Sookrah’s technical knowledge and might of communication lead him into fine art instruction. Today he conducts workshops and teaches painting techniques in oil, acrylic and watercolour at various institutions including including McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Richmond Hill Art School and The Lodge on Amherst Island.

An active member of the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto for twenty-four years, Sookrah served many terms on the Club’s Art Committee and was the convenor of its 3rd Floor Sunday Figurative Painting Sessions for nine years. Over the years his work was included in various juried group exhibitions at the Club.

Sookrah regularly donates work to charitable auctions and foundations including REACH, Gilda’s Club, Creative Art GEMS Auction, KidSport Canada, and the Roseneath Foundation. He was also a sponsor of the Student Drawing Award at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE) at City Hall for several years.

Sookrah’s work is in Corporate and Private Collections in Canada and the US.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Born 1956, Guyana

Emigrated to Canada, 1974, Canadian Citizen, 1978

EDUCATION

1967 – 1972, Queen’s College, Georgetown, Guyana

1977 – 1984, Ontario College of Art (OCA), Toronto, Part time, Fine Art Advertising & Design (Various courses), George Brown College, Toronto, Part time, Fine Art, Illustration, (Various courses), Ryerson University, Toronto, Part time, Print Production Management (Various courses)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019, 2016 Westland Gallery, London, Ontario

2016 Gallery on the Lake, Buckhorn, Ontario

2014 Raw Stimulations: Dingle, Ireland & Killarney, Ontario, Rawlicious, Toronto

2012 Interviews From The Third Floor Plus 2, Arts & Letters Club, Toronto

2008 Heat Rising In A Cold Place, Arctic Landscapes, Santaguida, Toronto

2007 Darkened Spaces Full of Light, Arctic Landscapes, Engine Room Creative Studio, Toronto

2005 Parallel States of Being 1, The Lodge, Amherst Island

2004 Interviews From The Third Floor, Arts & Letters Club, Toronto

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020 All Things With Imagination, McMichael Canadian Art Collection

2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 The Artist Project, Toronto

2020, 2019 The Westland Gallery, London, Ontario

2019 Views from the Pine Collage, McMichael Canadian Art Collection

2019 The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Toronto

2019 The Rosedale Art Fair, Toronto

2018 Open Water, CSPWC, (Winner, Currys’ Art Prize)

2016 3Rd International Art Festival, Nanjing, China

2016 Opening of Wang Jianhua Museum and Cultural Exchange, Suzhou, China

2015 International Art Exposition, The Grand Palais, Carousel, Louvre, Paris

2015 The Canadian Landscape, Art Gallery Of Ontario Members’ Lounge, The Grange,

2015 IMPACT 2015, Neilson Park Creative Centre (Winner, Best in Show)

2014 Art of The Real, Todmorden Mills Papermill Art Gallery, Toronto

2013 / 2011 Through The Eyes Of The Artist, Lakeshore Arts, Toronto

2012 IN FEAR WE TRUST 2, Exploring the power of religious belief, NUIT BLANCHE, Toronto

2011 Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) Continuum, Arts & Letters Club, Toronto

2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2004 Society of Canadian Artists’ Annual Open Juried Shows (38th/39th/42nd/43rd/44th),

2010 Society of Canadian Artists’ On The Scene, Exhibition of Landscapes, The Leighton Art Centre, Calgary, Alberta

2009 Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) Summer Exhibition at the Win Henstock Gallery, Oakville, Ontario and the Pentimento Fine Art Gallery, Toronto

2009 Society of Canadian Artists’ Roots, Saint John Arts Centre, Saint John, New Brunswick

2008 IN FEAR WE TRUST, Exploring the power of political belief, NUIT BLANCHE, Toronto

2008 Spillage! Installation Art on Elm Street, Toronto

2007 Society of Canadian Artists’ Integration, Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH)

2006 Annual Queen West Art Crawl, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto

2006 ARCTIC QUEST Exhibitions:

  • Win Henstock Gallery, Oakville, Ontario
  • The Georgina Art Gallery, Sutton West, Ontario
  • The Gallery on the Grand, Waterloo, Ontario
  • The Linkway Gallery, TD Centre, Toronto

Memberships (Elected)

  • Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) Honorary
  • Ontario Society of Artists (OSA)
  • Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC)
  • Portrait Society of Canada

Memberships 

  • Art Gallery Of Ontario
  • The McMichael Gallery
  • The ROM

TEACHING:

Andrew Cheddie Sookrah teaches painting in watercolour, acrylic, oil in his studio as well as at The Barrie Art Club, The McMichael Art Gallery (Kleinberg), the Richmond Hill Art School (Markham), The Town Of Richmond Hill, Luc Sculpture Art School (Toronto) and ARTiculations, (Toronto).

WORKSHOPS:

Andrew conducts 1-day, 2-day and 4-day painting workshops periodically.

Awards/ Acclamations

Finalist in the Landscape Artist of the Year Canada Competition, 2020

Finalist in Art Battle Toronto @ The Artist Project, 2020

Curry’s Award, CSPWC, Open Water, 2018

First Prize, En Plein Air, McMichael Gallery, 2017

First Prize, Best Of Kleinberg, McMichael Gallery Plein Air 2016

First Prize, IMPACT 2015, Neilson Park Creative Centre

Third Prize, Through The Eyes Of The Artist 2011, Lakeshore Arts

Honourable Mention, Through The Eyes Of The Artist 2011, Lakeshore Arts

Honourable Mention, Watercolours, Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, 1981

Best in School Art Prize, Queen’s College, 1971 (age 15)