Penny Chase

Penny Chase is an Inuvialuit painter now based in Alberta. Her mother Alice Hunter inspired her while growing up. The embroidered slippers and parkas her mother made were some of the pieces that really stood out to her. In 2008, Chase graduated from Alberta College of Art and Design University with a BFA focus in painting. After graduating her career started to pick up.

Chase creates large scale work on canvas mainly using oil.  In one of her early series she painted polar bears based on her dreams and stories told by elders.  The scale and atmosphere of the painting allows the viewers to be captivated by the large presence of the polar bears. In 2012 she was a part of a group show for the Western Showcase in Calgary. The Ranch Project allowed her to experience a different landscape from the Arctic and broaden her artist experience.

In 2009, she was apart of ‘Art in the Park’ which is in partnership with Parks Canada at Ivvavik National Park. This programs enlist artists from diverse backgrounds to make work inspired by Ivvavik’s beautiful streams and surrounding mountains. Her painting is based on the realistic scenes of Ivvavik and used a border inspired from the delta braid. In 2008 Chase was the regional winner for the BMO 1st Art! Invitational Student Art Competition for her beaded paintings. In the paintings had a vertically hung beaded in various colours. The string of beads created an atmosphere of colour and transparency. She continues her active career as a painter and work about her Inuvialuit culture and lifestyle through her works.