PAINTINGS

​Creation and interpretation is Paul’s life. In painting he is at home in all mediums and his production is prodigious. Paul started his artistic career as a qualified gold and silversmith with a degree in design. Paul then turned to painting immediately after graduating from the Liverpool School of Art.

His painting styles include Realism, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism and Abstract Surrealism. His continuous study and work on techniques and painting mediums are apparent throughout his vast body of work. From his Heritage Series to his Celestialism (which shows the extent of his imagination–giving an insight to his more intimate work illustrating the workings of the mind and soul ) to his current Abstract Expressionism and Abstract Surrealism.

His most recent works provoke a response that is both physical and emotional. His application of colour and line enables Paul to capture the essence of the subject with a spontaneity unparalleled by many. His technique in colour is startling and impressive and his use of the pallet knife is bold and convincing.
Paul’s monumental murals and domed ceiling have received international  acclaim and the power of his achievement is appreciated and recognized by many collectors world- wide.
He is the creator of some of the most famous images in Canada such as his Heritage Series; which are instantly recognized by most Canadians and have been a part of the British Columbia identity for decades. He is also the architect of some of the largest murals in North America and Europe  His paintings are in public and private collections worldwide and are treasured for their intrinsic and real value.

In July of 2011, Paul Ygartua finished restoring the ‘Legends of the Millennium’ mural. It’s on two continuous walls of the Beachcomber Building and measures over 9000 square feet! It is considered “one of metro Vancouver’s most famous works of art….”. Ygartua originally painted it in the year 2000. Then, as now, it was done singlehandedly with a brush…no graphs, no projections, no helpers. The American website AskART considers it probably the largest mural ever painted by a single artist. Video courtesy of Citytv Vancouver, July 4, 2011.
His works are discussed in “Artists of British Columbia” (1986), by Derek Morys-Edge; “The Collector’s Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction” (2001), by Anthony R. Westbridge and Diana L. Bodnar; “Famous” (2007), by Petru Russu; “Place Makers: Creating Public Art…” (2007), by Ronald Lee Fleming and Renata Von Tscharner; and “International Contemporary Masters Volume III” (2010), by Despina Tunberg. He is also the subject of the monograph “Primordial Chaos” (2008), by Carlo Cambi and Flora Rovigo.