Bio
Desirée Patterson is a Canadian photographic and multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of contemporary art, environmental science, and public experience. Based in Vancouver, BC, on the ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, her self-directed artistic path began during a solo journey through more than forty countries. These formative experiences shaped a practice grounded in ecological awareness, cultural resilience, and climate consciousness.
Her work spans photography, installation, sculpture, performance, and public art, often rooted in scientific research and interdisciplinary collaboration. Recent projects focus on glacial transformation, where she works alongside researchers to translate cryosphere science into immersive installations that bridge data, material, and lived experience.
Patterson’s work has been presented in eight solo exhibitions and more than forty group exhibitions, with international presentations at Somerset House in London and the Creative Climate Awards in New York. Her projects live both in major public installations and in private and corporate collections across North and South America, Europe, the UK, and Hong Kong.
Committed to environmental stewardship and cross-disciplinary dialogue, she has trained under former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and participated in the Futures/Forward mentorship program through the International Centre of Art for Social Change. Through her practice, Patterson seeks to build meaningful connections between science and the public, using beauty, materiality, and sensory experience to foster curiosity, empathy, and deeper engagement with the changing natural world.
CV
Desirée Patterson
Current Residence: Vancouver, British Columbia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Forthcoming 2027 “Interglacial” Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
Forthcoming 2026 “Interglacial” The Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, BC
2023 “Anomaly” Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver, BC
2022 “Paradigm Shift”, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver
2019 “Anthropocene; The Present I”, Gallery 1515, Vancouver
2018 “Point De Fusion”, Capture Photography Festival, Truth and Beauty Gallery, Vancouver
2017 “Enraciné”, Truth and Beauty Gallery, Vancouver
2017 “Inspiring Preservation: An Alternate Perspective”, Capture Photography Festival, New West
2017 “Art on Demand 3:1”, The Reach Gallery + Museum, Abbotsford
2010 “2010 Winter Olympics”, Whistler Arts Council Venues, Whistler
PUBLIC ART
(In Progress) “Unus cum Viribus Duorum”, monumental kinetic + typography sculpture, Abbotsford Police
Department Headquarters, commissioned by the City of Abbotsford
(In Progress) “Arbor”, 100 ft lenticular sculpture/architectural structure + ceramic frit, PATTERSON development,
commissioned by Dava Developments, Richmond, BC
2024 “Visions of Biophilia”, building-scale analog photographic mural created through community-engaged process, Richmond, BC
2023 Photographic mural, building-scale installation (1335 sqft), commissioned by ONNI Group, Burnaby, BC
2023 “As it Once Was”, large-scale facade graphic installation (4300 sqft) & 2 custom murals, commissioned by Alliance Partners, Richmond, BC
2020 “Shifting Times”, archival photographic artwork commissioned by City of Richmond, BC
2019 “Enraciné”, commissioned by Mobi Bikes + Shaw GO, Vancouver, BC
2019 “Anthropocene; the Present I”, building-scale photo installation, King Edward Skytrain Station facade, curated by InTransit BC + Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, BC
2018 “Geography” building-scale photo installations commissioned by Modern Niagara, North Vancouver, BC
2018 “Whistler Spirit”, structural photographic installation commissioned by Crystal Lodge and Suites Hotel, Whistler, BC
2017 “Pacific Salmon”, artwork commissioned for Garry Point Park, by City of Richmond, BC
2016 “Fauna”, 4 building-scale photo installations, commissioned by BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver
2015 Local urban mural commissioned mural by Mercury Contracting, Vancouver, BC
2014 “Black Tusk”, commissioned mural by Crystal Lodge and Suites Hotel, Whistler, BC
COMMUNITY ENGAGED ART
2025 “Children’s Arts Festival - Analog Glaciers”, community engaged workshop,City of Richmond, Richmond, BC
2024 “Biophilic Connections”, community engaged workshop, Greenseeds Music Society, Terra Nova Park, BC
2024 “Intertidal Kinning Festival”, community engaged workshop, Other Sights, hosted at the Blue Cabin in Steveston, BC
2024 “Visions of Biophilia”, Engaging Artists in Community Program (1 year residency), City of Richmond/Richmond Nature Park, BC
2023 “Art & Stewardship”, community engaged workshop, Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
2023 “Art & Stewardship”, community engaged workshop, Harmony Arts Festival, West Vancouver, BC
2021 “Interconnected” community art project conducted with Alternatives Gallery & Studios, East Van
2020 “FUTURES/forward“, selected mentee in program, ICASC (via SFU and Judith Marcuse Projects), Vancouver, BC
2019 “Climate Legacy” student art project commissioned by Chief Maquinna Elementary, generously supported by VSB funding (Betty Wellburn Artistic Legacies Grant), Vancouver, BC
GROUP EXHIBITS + FAIRS + AUCTIONS, SELECTED
2025 Modern, Post-War & Contemporary Art, Waddingtons Auctioneers, Toronto, Ontario
2025 Unbound, International Centre of Contemporary Art, Vancouver, BC
2024 Green, (via East Side Culture Crawl), Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2024 Plasticosis, Emerge 10th Anniversary Exhibition, The Reach Gallery + Museum, Abbotsford, BC
2023 What Moves you, Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2023 NONRETURNABLES, Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
2022 NEXT (via East Side Culture Crawl), Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2022 Illuminate Gala Preview, Audain Gallery, Whistler, BC
2021 Art Rich, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
2021 Surfacing, the Cultch Gallery, East Van, BC
2021 Authentic Self; A New Equilibrium, Headline Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2021 Essential Travel, Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2021 Tip of the Iceberg, Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
2019 The Other Art Fair, (Frieze satellite fair), Brooklyn, New York
2019 Concrete Contemporary, Waddingtons Auctioneers, Toronto, Ontario
2019 SNAP 2019, live auction, Arcadian Court, Toronto, Ontario
2018 Concrete Contemporary, Waddingtons Auctioneers, Toronto, Ontario
2018 Creative Climate Awards, Human Impacts Institute, Manhattan, New York
2018 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, Somerset House, London, England
2018 The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles, California
2018 La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, California
2018 ArtRich 2017, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
2017 East Side Culture Crawl, 1000 Parker St., East Vancouver, BC
2016 State of the Art, Whistler Convention Centre, Whistler, BC
2016 Place & Journal, The Crystal Gallery, Whistler, BC
2016 Re: Semblance, Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver, BC
RESIDENCIES
2026 Glacier Nation, Andes Field Research Residency, Poleka Kasue, Colombia
2025 National Field Artist Residency, United Nations International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, Canada
2024 Engaging Community Program, Artist in Residence (year), Richmond, BC
2020 International Centre of Art for Social Change (six months), Vancouver, BC
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Vancouver Sun, Interglacial feature in conjunction with ESCC, written by Shawn Conner, November 2025
Georgia Straight, Artist feature in conjunction with ESCC, written by Alisa Prinyarux, November 2025
Richmond News, “Richmond Artist-In-Residence Bridges Community”, written by Valerie Leung, Nov. 2024
Jasper fitzHUGH, “Climate activist showcasing art at Mountain Galleries” written by Scott Hayes, March 2024
Preview Magazine, “Desriée Patterson: Anomaly”, written by Michael Turner, June 2023
100% SHE Podcast (Spotify) + ARTSAIL Magazine (Italy), artist interview, hosted and written by Giulia De Sanctis March, 2023
Create a Stir, Paradigm Shift at VCT, written by Gail Johnson,August 2022
Pique Magazine, artist feature, written by Brandon Barrett, April 2022
Semper Feminae Magazine, IV; Pasisajes Posibles, Anomaly Feature, Spring 2022
Whistler Traveller Magazine, EVOLUTION - Artists on Motion, by Rebecca Wood Barrett, Spring 2021
Mountain Life Magazine, 2019 ANNUAL Edition, HauteTerre, Winter 2019
CAPITEL. Magazine - story by Fernanada Ramirez, Spring 2019
Coast Mountain Culture - story by Steven Threndyle, Spring 2019
The Georgia Straight, “Desirée Patterson Wins the Canada Line Station Competition”, Spring 2019
Pique Magazine, “Whistler History on Display in New Installation”, story by Alyssa Noel, January 2019
Langley Times, “Artist Takes on Activism Through Photography”, by Miranda Fatur, November 2018
Snow Magazine, “Art and Allegory”, story by Steven Threndyle, Spring 2018
Langley Times, “Photograph captures climate change in new series”, by Miranda Gathercole, Spring 2018
The Goodmen Project, “Making Art, Making a Difference”, story by Ira Israel, Spring 2018
Thrive Global, “Desirée Patterson, Making Art, Making a Difference”, story by Ira Israel, Spring 2018
PhotoLife Magazine,“2018 Sony World Photography Awards: 9 Canadians Recognized”, Spring 2018
PhotoEd Magazine, Cover Artwork & Artist Feature, story by Peppa Martin, December 2017
Truth & Beauty, “Enraciné:The Back Story with Desirée Patterson” by Peppa Martin, November 2017
Tenth To The Fraser, Capture Photography Festival Artist Feature, story by Sunshine Frére, Spring 2017
New Westminster Record, “Capture Photo Festival Comes to New West” May, 2017
HLM Magazine, “The Art of Activism”, story by Cindy Yu, Spring 2017
The Georgia Straight, Cover Story/Artist Feature, by Janet Smith, Fall 2015
The Langley Times, “Inspiring Preservation Through Photography”, by Miranda Gathercole, Fall 2015
24 Hour News, East Side Culture Crawl Feature, story by Zoe Grams, Fall 2015
West Vancouver Living Magazine, Artist Feature, story by Maria Spitale-Leisk, Spring 2014
ARTIST TALKS, PRESENTATIONS + ARTICLES
“Plasticosis”, artist talk, The Reach Gallery + Museum, Abbotsford, BC, 2024
Visions of Biophilia Community Program, Artist Talk, Richmond Nature Park, Richmond, BC, 2024
“The Memory of Ice”, artist talk, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Alberta, 2024
“The Memory of Ice”, artist talk, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper, Alberta, 2024
“Hope, Grief and Beauty”, organizer + moderator of climate panel consisting of Dr. Jason Brown (professor of ecological humanities SFU) and Erzsi Institorisz (Founder Greenseeds Music Society), Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver, 2023 (CARFAC fee paid)
“Trek to Everest Basecamp” slideshow presentation, Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver, 2023 (CARFAC fee paid)
”Tip of the Ice Berg; Top 5”, published climate blog post via Two Rivers Gallery, 2021 (CARFAC fee paid)
“Art, Self-Care and the Climate Crisis”, self-expression video session, Climate Reality Leadership Corps: Global Training, commissioned by Felicia S. Hall, Washington, DC, 2020 (fee paid)
“Evening for Climate Change”, organizer + moderator of panel consisting of Izzy Czerveniak (David Suzuki Foundation) + Erzsi Institorisz (Founder Greenseeds Music Society), Gallery 1515, Vancouver, BC, 2019
“Evening for Ocean Conservation” organizer + moderator of panel consisting of Dr. Elaine Leung (Founder of Sea Smart) + Marin Davidson (Events Director of Surfrider Foundation- Vancouver chapter) 2019
“Point De Fusion”, artist talk, Truth+ Beauty Gallery via Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, BC, 2018
“Inspiring Preservation: Alternative Perspectives”, Capture Photography Festival, New Westminster, BC, 2017
AWARDS
Recipient, United Nations Medal of Honour, International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (Civilian Contribution), Banff, 2025
Longlist, Lind Prize, Polygon Gallery, Vancouver, 2025
Shortlist, CICA Vancouver International Art Awards, 2025
Finalist, Georgia Straight’s Canada Line Competition, Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, 2019
Semi-Finalist, Creative Climate Awards, Human Impacts Institute, Manhattan, New York 2018
Commended Winner, Sony World Photography Awards, Somerset House, London, England, 2018
Honorable Mention Winner, PX3, Prix de la Photographie, Paris, France, 2015