Tessar Sebastian Lo is always searching, driven by a desire to work freely beyond the boundaries of convention. As he reaches with an open heart toward that mysterious place where dream-reality and waking-reality merge, his vision is perpetually evolving.
Born in Indonesia and raised in Toronto, Tessar explores themes from his Asian heritage, motivated by the same quest to express nature’s primal force as were primitivists like Gauguin. Working in mixed media on canvas, he builds compound layers of deep, dusky colour and unusual textures, drawing the viewer inward and creating an almost sensual awareness of surface.
By stripping his work of artifice and surrendering to instinct, he aspires to turn seemingly mundane subjects – a corner of a backyard, a walk in the park, a childhood toy – into powerful sources of inspiration and potential. Around these familiar landmarks, he constructs unfolding mythologies that stir the reservoirs of childlike wonder that lie buried within us all.
Tessar Lo lives and works in Toronto.