Devon Knowles
Devon Knowles (b. 1977 London, ON; lives/works: Ontario) has a material-centred practice and works primarily in sculpture. Emphasizing the production methods of objects as well as their materials, she formalizes their experience by reconfiguring both into new, unified works. Her sculptural forms question how these newly shaped proximities influence one another, and in turn, the language that surrounds them. Consistently central is the consideration of how things fit together and why. From coloured glass, steel, and cast aluminum to fabric and street detritus, the varied histories, economies, and social meanings of diverse materials and processes are unpredictably combined. As she engages with elements of perception, opticality, and tactility alongside the direct act of making, Knowles encourages the viewer to access her work from a shared intimacy and sympathetic attentiveness.
Her work has been included in exhibitions nationally and internationally including Catriona Jeffries (2025); Vancouver Art Gallery (2022, 2009); Art Gallery at Evergreen, Coquitlam (2020); Off Lomas, Albuquerque, New Mexico (2015); Simon Fraser University Gallery, Burnaby (2015); Or Gallery, Berlin (2014); Nanaimo Art Gallery (2014); and Western Front, Vancouver (2013). She has received numerous public art commissions for both civic and private collections.
Knowles is Assistant Professor (Studio) at the University of Guelph, where she is head of Sculpture. She received a BA in Studio from the University of Guelph (2001) and an MFA from the University of Victoria (2008).