RIC EVANS

Ric Evans, a Canadian visual artist whose abstract practice shaped and enriched the national art scene for over five decades, passed away on August 12, 2025, at Kensington Health, Toronto, Ontario. He was 79. Born in Toronto on January 10, 1946, Ric began his formal artistic training at the Ontario College of Art in the late 1960s. His early promise was evident in group exhibitions at Hart House Gallery and Scarborough College Gallery at the University of Toronto in 1969. These formative experiences marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to abstraction that would define his career. The 1970s were a period of significant creative development inspiring several important series. In 1975, Evans systematic and constructive oil paintings were featured in a major group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario, further cementing his reputation as a leading figure in Canadian abstract art. Ric was actively involved in the artist-run movement that transformed contemporary art in Canada. He exhibited with the Toronto Artists' Cooperative (ACT) at 424 Wellington Street and was one of twelve founding artists of Mercer Union-an artist-run centre that remains a cornerstone of Canada's contemporary art landscape. In the 1980s, Ric's work reached international audiences through exhibitions at Ydessa Gallery and Glendon Gallery in Toronto, the Alberta College of Art, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia. From 1983 to 1988, he exhibited with Grunwald Gallery before joining Sable Castelli Gallery from 1989 - 2004. In 2005, Ric joined Nicholas Metivier Gallery where he regularly exhibited new work for two decades and was often represented at the Art Toronto fair. Ric's artistic philosophy emphasized clarity and intuition. He used colour not as ornamentation but as a means to clarify shape and line. His approach was both deliberate and exploratory - he sought to reveal the inherent qualities of each colour rather than control them. His surfaces were carefully developed yet never overworked; his lines - whether given, measured, or projected - formed the structural rhythm of his compositions. For Ric, line was not merely a visual element but a guiding principle that echoed throughout his entire body of work. Beyond his contributions to Canadian art history, Ric will be remembered for his lasting friendships, good humour and kindness. He was a thoughtful observer of the natural world with a profound insight on how to express meaningful emotion and spirituality through visual language. His work earned the admiration of countless collectors who found personal resonance in his compositions. Ric is deeply missed by his wife of 27 years, Laura Mae Rainey a.k.a "Sweetie"; his brother, Peter, and sister-in-law, Debbie Evans; brothers-in-law, Paul Rainey and Tim Rainey with wife, Lis; nieces, Leah and Sonja Rainey, along with their partners, Ian Richards and Kai Masaoka. He was predeceased by his mother, Georgina Jane Evans (née Newman); and father, Richard Charles Evans II. The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the Kensington Hospice staff and the Multi Organ Transplant team at Toronto General Hospital for their dedicated care. Prior to May 2021 through June 2025, the UHN Lung Transplant team and several other multidisciplinary teams at UHN matched Ric's determination to live with their unwavering medical treatments and support during his final years. Cremation was followed one week later by an intimate funeral service held on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Blessed Trinity Parish in Toronto. A Celebration of Life on Wednesday, September 24th, by invitation only. Ric Evans is irreplaceable. May he rest in peace now and his memory live on forever. May his provocative paintings continue to inspire and bring beauty to his countless collectors and the generations of art lovers to come. Photo: Ric Evans, Artist in his studio Study and permanent artwork installation, 2014, Toronto Dominion Bank, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario