Gavin W. Sewell

I am an American-born, Montréal- and New York-based visual artist with more than 20 years of experience creating original paintings, murals, large-scale mixed-media installations, and site-specific public art. My practice brings together contemporary abstraction, figurative imagery, painting, collage, and sculptural assemblage. I am particularly interested in transformation: how organic forms, historical narratives, architectural spaces, and unexpected combinations of materials can come together to create something visually compelling and deeply engaging. My public-art commissions include permanent, large-scale installations for Eaton Elementary School and Smothers Elementary School in Washington, DC, commissioned through the District of Columbia Department of General Services in collaboration with Zenith Gallery. These projects combine historical research, layered visual storytelling, and intricate three-dimensional construction to create works that celebrate community identity, discovery, and imagination. Commercial commissions include a monumental elevated interior mural for CellCarta, a Montréal biotechnology company; an exterior floral mural for a neighbourhood café; and large-scale mixed-media artwork for corporate clients, including a live-painting commission for BBS Law in Toronto. I enjoy working closely with architects, developers, business owners, institutions, and communities to develop distinctive artworks that respond to the character and purpose of each space. My process combines careful listening and concept development with an adventurous approach to composition, materials, scale, and execution. I am experienced in large-scale installations, elevated work environments, and the technical and logistical demands of architectural commissions. My work ranges from expressive, abstract compositions to richly detailed figurative and narrative pieces. For me, a successful mural does more than decorate a wall. It transforms the experience of a place, creating new possibilities for connection, curiosity, and imagination. Based in Montréal and New York, I am available for residential, commercial, institutional, and public-art commissions throughout Canada, the United States, and internationally.