Harreson Tanner
Harreson was born in Ontario to a family of French-Irish heritage that produced renowned wood carvers and artisans. He studied at the Ottawa School of Art under the tutelage of sculptress Almuth Lukenhaus, and has been sculpting for the past 20 years. For 10 years as a resident of Kitsilano, he was involved in a number of collaborative works with well-known artist and mentor, John Voth. Making his home now in the Yukon (Whitehorse) for the past 2 1/2 yrs, he is immersed in an art community that "one could only dream of". He says of his work; "My sculpture is primarily masks and busts of historical figures and ceremonial images of various cultures. The style is interpretative and intuitive, which allows the essence of the subject to dominate. The primary medium is clay, and finishes range from waxes and organic dyes to traditional ceramic glazes. I create works that are both tactile and visual, thus I experience the joy that comes from releasing a creation from its coarse bonds."