Joseph Plaskett  was born in New Westminister, British Columbia. Jock Macdonald and Lawren Harris were among his first mentors. These two significant figures of Canadian art had recommended Plaskett for the first Emily Carr scholarship. This scholarship had given Joseph Plaskett the opportunity to study abroad at the San Francisco School of Fine Art. Then he travelled to New York to study under Hans Hofmann. In 1947 he became the principal of the Winnipeg School of Art. After this appointment he taught at the Banff School of Fine Art. He has lived in Paris since 1951, and more recently has moved to Suffolk, England.*

Joseph Plaskett has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in major private and public galleries across Canada. In 2001, he received the Order of Canada for his excellence in the field of visual art.

Plaskett’s subjects are intimate interpretations of everyday life. They have always been of still life, portraits, interiors, landscapes, and friends. He is masterfully skilled at using light, colour, and form to perfection. He works in pastels, oils, and watercolour. He is one of Canada’s most important contemporary artists.

Credits: 
George Woodcock, Joseph Plaskett, A Speaking Likeness, 1990, preface.

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