Biography
Cory grew up in a working-class neighbourhood in Brandon, Manitoba, nestled on the edge of downtown between the CPR railway tracks and the Assiniboine River. His childhood was best characterized by unsupervised adventures and the freedom of a ‘home by supper’ mentality that was the 1980s, quickly leading to a passion for exploring the timeworn houses and light industrial warehouses around his home. When he was stuck inside, Cory’s favourite childhood memory is sketching in his dining room, sunbeams pouring in through the window, lost in his world of art.
As a teenager Cory moved to Victoria BC, where his passion for urban exploration grew. Although his sketching waned over the years, Cory embarked on a series of backpacking adventures that would take him around the world several times over. By the 2010s, Cory had moved to Australia, exploring and photographing its sun-soaked beauty at every opportunity. But when his partner offered him a starter set of acrylic paints as a hobby to help decompress from his high-stress job, his life immediately changed. Cory and painting went together like peas and carrots, and he hasn’t stopped painting since.
In 2017, Cory returned to Victoria and set up his studio in North Jubilee. Today, his art continues to be inspired by photography, urban exploration, and quaint scenes of neglected spaces and timeworn objects. When he’s not planning his next world adventure, you can find Cory cycling in Oak Bay, reading history on his couch, or taking reference photos of drab urban spaces to the perplexity of those around him.
Pictures in order: Me in Sydney, Australia, at the start of my painting journey; showing off my 2nd place finish in the 2025 FCA Calendar Competition (Mr July!) for “Lean on Me”; in the studio varnishing “Under the Highway Sun” with “20 Storeys” on the easel.
Artist Statement
I paint the passage of time through detailed portraits of urban spaces. I'm fascinated by how people shape our built environment through decades of use, adaptation, and reuse, and how this ongoing process leaves behind a visual legacy hiding behind layers of paint and faded signage. My paintings aim to recapture the glory of these spaces by using fine details, rich colours, and confronting viewpoints that encourage the viewer to investigate each painting closely and with fresh eyes, uncovering clues to the past hidden within everyday urban scenery. Ultimately I want my viewers to appreciate our cities’ timeworn neighbourhoods and the visual history they provide.
Podcast
Cory sits down with author and illustrator Joanna Vander Vlugt to discuss his world travels, life in Australia, and all the things that influence his art today.
Documentary
Cory is interviewed by director Randy Frykas in his series, Passion Project, to discuss what made him quit his day job to pursue art as a full-time career, and what continues to inspire him today.
Membership
Federation of Canadian Artists, Exhibiting Member, joined 2020.
Awards
2nd Place, Lean On Me. Federation of Canadian Artists, “2025 Calendar Exhibition and Competition,” (2025).
Honourable Mention, Nature of Things. Victoria Arts Council, “Art Victoria NOW,” (2024).
2nd Place, Lamp-Eyed Lovers. Federation of Canadian Artists, “Chapter Challenge,” (2022).
Honourable Mention, The Repair Shop. Federation of Canadian Artists, “Victoria Chapter: A Slice of Life,” (2020).
Award of Excellence, The Departed. Sooke Fine Arts Show (2020).
People's Choice Award, From the Mean Streets of Fernwood. Victoria Arts Council LOOK Show (2019).
Solo Exhibition
Staying Creative Gallery, “Imagine,” Brentwood Bay BC (2022).
Group Exhibitions (Selected)
Federation of Canadian Artists, “Annual International Representational Exhibition,” Vancouver BC (2026).
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, “Art Gallery Paint-In,” Victoria BC (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).
Sooke Fine Arts Society, “Sooke Fine Arts Show,” Sooke BC (2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, 2026).
Federation of Canadian Artists: Victoria Chapter exhibitions, Victoria BC (2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026)
Federation of Canadian Artists, “On the Edge,” Vancouver BC (2022, 2026).
Federation of Canadian Artists, “Calendar Exhibition and Competition,” Online (2020, 2025, 2026).
Society of Canadian Artists, “International Open Juried Online Exhibition,” Online (2020, 2025).
National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society, “NOAPS Fall International Online Exhibition,” Online (2024).
Victoria Arts Council, “Art Victoria NOW,” Victoria BC (2024).
Federation of Canadian Artists, “Chapter Challenge,” Online (2022).
Federation of Canadian Artists, “AIMAE: Annual International Mail-In Art Exhibition,” Vancouver BC (2021).
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, “Winter Small Works Show,” Victoria BC (2021).