Irene Klar was born in Montreal in 1950. After completing degrees in Physical Therapy and Science at McGill University, she moved to Edmonton in 1973. People, textiles, pattern decoration and colors serve as her inspiration. She has also found inspiration in places around the globe from North Africa to India, South America to the Alaska coast. Her interest in universal design elements has taken her on far-reaching travels from Australia to Guatemala and Morocco. These themes are incorporated into her paintings and prints which are full of the intense colors of the marketplaces. Inspired by humanity and its cultural expression of pattern and design, Klar uses sculptural line and a rainbow palette to portray a universal indigenous woman, weighted with history but imbued with grace, vitality and hope. Klar is currently featured in multiple private and corporate collections including: Canada Council Art Bank, Alberta Art Foundation, and Teleglobe Canada.
