Puyan A. Zadeh

Puyan is a traditional painter based in Vancouver. His practice is closely connected to the local creative community, with his studio at 1000 Parker Street serving as a place for learning, discussion, and exchange of ideas. He is an organizer with Creative Mornings Vancouver and leads Van Sketch Club, one of the largest local communities focused on social connection through art making. He is also an active participant in First Saturdays and the Eastside Culture Crawl. His work will be exhibited as part of a group show at the Crescent Beach Community Gallery in May 2026.

Artist Statement

Puyan’s practice is rooted in traditional painting methods, with a particular attention to tonal structure, surface preparation, and the physical behavior of materials. He works primarily with oils and oil pastels, while occasionally incorporating acrylics or watercolor depending on the demands of the surface. Wood panels play a central role in his work, where the natural grain, color, and imperfections are often left exposed and allowed to influence the composition. On canvas, underpainting serves a similar function, remaining visible and active rather than hidden beneath later layers. His paintings are built slowly through layering, scraping, brushing over, and reworking, allowing earlier decisions to persist and shape the final image. Although the work may appear deliberate and controlled, he deliberately introduces uncertainty through worn brushes, rough material application, and direct color mixing on the surface. This balance between structure and interruption keeps the paintings open, unresolved, and responsive to both material and gesture, emphasizing the act of painting as an ongoing process rather than a fixed outcome.