Mike Vandenberg was born in Ottawa, Canada in 1966. He grew up in the panoramic region of l'Outaouais, which encapsulates Gatineau, Quebec. Mike's interest in painting was sparked at an early age during a trip to the Art Gallery of Canada where he was inspired by the works of Alfred Pellan and the pop artist.

Mike's formal training commenced at Cegep, Heritage Campus, in Hull, Quebec. He was enrolled in their Fine Arts program throughout the fall of 1985 until spring 1987. This was a period marked with a sincere fervor to explore the abundant mediums available, but eventually he discovered that his passion dwelled in painting.

In 1989 Mike moved to Toronto to study at The Ontario College of Arts and Design. In May of 1993, he graduated from the fine arts program, specializing in drawing and painting. For the next 11 years his paintings integrated vast layers of postmodern imagery that depicted his understanding of society's sway in the development of one’s identity.

In June 2003, Mike returned to the Ottawa / Outaouais region with a strong desire to explore nature's innate beauty. His first series to evolve from this aspiration featured the dynamic forces of dusk. These works were inspired by the majestic sense of symmetry inherent within the enigmatic boundaries of the ether and banks of the Ottawa and Gatineau Rivers.

Mike’s current art focuses on melding layers of introspection with intensity so as to elevate the self, beyond his or her physical appearance. In portraying the intangibles of self-evaluation through the use of palette knives, the canvas’ surface becomes alive with the physical struggles of life’s scars, urges and ecstasy. As such, it commemorates the reactionary forces churning below the surface of skin and paint.

EXHIBITIONS

AWARDS

Kensington Outdoor Art Revue, 1^st place in the painting category, 1998.