Born in 1995 in Moscow, Russia, Tiessen is an international award-winning artist based near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, He was listed as one of the world’s top ten prodigy artists (Huffington Post) and recognized as the only known male art prodigy in North America (Dr. J. Ruthsatz, international child prodigy expert). His hyperreal shaped oil paintings, which take 400-1200 hours to complete, reflect the interaction between the natural world and manmade structures, drawing upon his studies in philosophy, theology and intercultural aesthetics.
As a teenager, ranked among the world’s foremost realist artists, Tiessen was juried in as the youngest member of International Guild of Realism, Artists for Conservation and Society of Animal Artists, elite groups of the top nature and wildlife artists worldwide. Recently, Art Renewal Center designated him “Associate Living Master,” and Jonathan LeVine Projects gallery awarded him First Place out of 2000 artists in their international competition Search for the Next Great Artist. LeVine will present the emerging artist’s debut international solo exhibition at his New York based gallery in May of 2019.
Mentored by masters such as acclaimed Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman, Tiessen has exhibited his work for over a decade in 90 exhibitions including the National Gallery of Canada, and is frequently juried into group exhibitions throughout the United States. He has sold 90 original works and hundreds of limited edition giclée prints to private/corporate Canadian & international collectors.
Featured 150 times in the press & media (American Art Collector, International Artist), speaking and teaching at 45 venues, and making 80 invited art donations to charitable organizations, Tiessen established the Arts for a Change Foundation. Josh Tiessen Studio Gallery has been voted #1 Art Gallery in the region for the past 4 years, and Josh Tiessen has been voted #1 Best Local Artist, added to over 50 awards and honors including IGOR Creative Achievement, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Canada’s Top 20 Under 20 for his artistic achievement and philanthropic work.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
