Michael Janzen — A Visionary Painter Between East and West

Michael Janzen, a Canadian visual artist rooted in Toronto, Ontario, stands as the founding chairman of the International Federation of Arts & Artists (IFAA), headquartered in Toronto. His life’s work is not merely that of a painter, but of a bridge-builder — a cross-cultural artist whose vision unites East and West. His art travels freely across faiths, across centuries of history, and across the boundaries of humanity itself, touching the unseen threads that bind us together in time and space.

From his earliest years, Janzen felt destined for the path of art. At fifteen, he received his first scholarship to study at the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University), a gift of recognition from the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Soon after, in 1977, AGO curators chose him as one of only three artists — out of a hundred from across the nation — to exhibit and sell work within the gallery. His youthful promise drew the gaze of Henry Moore, the great British sculptor, who for nearly a decade (1977–1986) encouraged, praised, and thanked him for his creative courage. A.J. Casson, of Canada’s legendary Group of Seven, embraced Janzen as “the new generation,” mentoring, exhibiting alongside him, and guiding his rising path. Canadian art critic Paul Duval wrote with conviction: “Janzen is a painter of thought, and with the facile of Picasso, everything he touches has spirit.” In 1984, the Canadian Government commissioned him to create four artworks that were presented to Pope John Paul II — a solemn gesture marking the universality of his vision.

From the year 2000 onward, Janzen’s creativity took on new forms of expression, merging with music, poetry, dance, and film in a series of Live Painting Performances. These events unfolded in AGO staff exhibitions, at the Varley Art Gallery, on the Bandshell concert stage of the Canadian National Exhibition, and within film and music festivals. His works toured internationally, from Canada to Brazil, exhibited in museums in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and São Paulo, representing Canadian contemporary art alongside Indigenous master Norval Morrisseau, once praised by Picasso himself. During this tour, dancer Margie Gillis first beheld Janzen’s work and, struck by its fluidity, named him “the painter who dances.”

In 2006, the Varley Art Gallery commissioned Janzen to create a live painting accompanied by Inuit drumming and spoken word for Artists’ Odysseys: The Arctic. He not only conceived and performed the piece, but also directed and produced a documentary film of the event, entitled Northern Lights. The exhibition displayed the film itself, the painting still standing on its easel, and the relics of the performance — an immersive testament to the unity of art forms.

The AGO repeatedly welcomed Janzen’s contributions to its annual staff exhibitions. Dennis Reid, curator and art historian, upon viewing his performance video and the finished painting, remarked: “I like what I see. Performance art is the future of visual art.” Matthew Teitelbaum, then Director of the AGO (and now Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), was deeply intrigued by Janzen’s transformative collage portraits of David Cronenberg and Chris Farley. In 2014, Janzen’s work was shown at the Carousel du Louvre in Paris, where he won international recognition.

That same year, Huang Jian Nan invited Janzen to participate in the Asian Culture Artists Federation Shenzhen, First Famous Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition (ACAA). He contributed not only artworks but also to their benefit auction. A live televised performance in China, painted in synchrony with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and broadcast nationally by CCTV, earned him immediate recognition and profound acclaim from Chinese masters. Their voices rose in admiration: “He is like the Buddha who paints like a warrior!” “Janzen is the bridge.” “He is a master who knows tradition and contemporary times, his work has beauty and touch.” “He is a visionary.” Paintings from that moment entered permanent collections: Zhong Zheng Chuan acquired one for the Malacca Zhongzhen Chuan Art Museum in Kuala Lumpur, while another was inducted into the Yu Jigao Art Foundation Museum in Nanjing.

Later in 2014, Janzen and Huang Jian Nan made history when their paintings were chosen to be issued as official Chinese Government postage stamps — the first time foreign artists were honored in this way. These limited edition stamps are preserved in the Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives of the Art Gallery of Ontario, as well as in the National Gallery of Canada. That same year, Janzen returned from his China exhibition tour and crossed paths in Toronto with musician Daniel Lanois. Sharing his achievements, Lanois raised his arms skyward and exclaimed: “Does it get any better than that?!” Janzen answered with a smile: “No.” That same year he returned to China, exhibiting at the Guangzhou Arts Trade Fair.

Janzen’s international journey continued. He exhibited at Paris’ Grand Palais in 2014 and 2015 during the Art en Capital exhibitions, where he received the Golden Painting Life Award for Oil or Acrylic, endorsed by the Institut de France Académie des Beaux-Arts. He returned again in 2016/17 to exhibit in the same prestigious halls. His works entered the permanent collection of Beautiful Asset (Beijing) Art Industry Co. Ltd. in 2014. In Beijing, he also painted on ceramics at the invitation of Huang Jian Nan, bridging traditions with contemporary imagery. Together, they lectured at Tsinghua University in Shenzhen on Canadian art and the creative relations between East and West. The university acquired one of Janzen’s works for its permanent collection.

Looking forward, one of Janzen’s upcoming events will honor Canadian musician Gordon Lightfoot. He will create a live painting performance of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lightfoot’s memorial birthday, after which the piece will enter the permanent collection of the Orillia Art Gallery in Lightfoot’s hometown. Through all these endeavors, Janzen’s collaborative spirit and artistic language radiate outward, seeking unity, joy, beauty, and a higher purpose.

Exhibitions and Accomplishments

2015: At the Markham Civic Centre, Janzen exhibited, lectured, and collaborated with Chen Ben. Mayor Frank Scarpitti acquired their collaborative painting for the Civic Centre Collection. Janzen received an award for his cultural contributions.
2016: Rev. Dayl Shi, Abbot of Cham Shan Temple, acquired a Janzen painting for the temple’s collection.
2017: Exhibited at the Colour Rhythm Exhibition in Toronto. Artist Ben Woolfitts introduced him: “Janzen is an accomplished artist in numerous media, subject matters, and disciplines. His outstanding body of work and uninterrupted creativity into the unknown makes him a trailblazer. We look forward to what he’ll do next.”
2018: Exhibited and lectured at Exoticism and Fusion: One Belt One Road China-Canada Art Exchange Exhibition at the Lingnan Museum of Fine Art, Dongguan, China. Selected by Guo Runwen, who praised the emotion in every brushstroke. The museum acquired Paris Nocturne for its permanent collection. Janzen also exhibited at the Taisan Nancun Art Gallery, Guangdong, and at the Jingdezhen Museum, where the Department of Cultural Affairs acquired one of his works.
2020: The Huronia Museum in Midland, Ontario, acquired a Janzen oil painting for its permanent collection, hanging it alongside works of the Group of Seven. On the same evening, Janzen unveiled a newly discovered Arthur Lismer painting, giving a lecture that revealed unknown details of Lismer’s life and art.
2023: Conceived, wrote, narrated, and appeared in a documentary film on Canadian artist Thomas Vincent Phillips. From 2009 to 2023, collaborated continuously with choreographer Danny Grossman between Toronto and San Francisco. Grossman praised his work: “born out of movement to which he gives form and structure, resulting in beautiful, powerful and emotional compositions that communicate.”
2024: At the Huronia Museum, Janzen co-curated and presented new findings on Franz Johnston and other Group of Seven artists, unveiling a significant Johnston oil painting. Later that year, he participated in the 4th Canada International Culture and Art Festival at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto as artist, curator, consultant, and lecturer. There he created two live collaborative works with Ren Qui Liu. His extensive catalogue contributions now reside in the E.P. Taylor Library at the AGO. He received the Gold Award for Oil Painting at the Festival.