John F. Ross
Calgary, Canada
John F. Ross (b. 1984, Toronto, Canada) is a Canadian painter creating contemporary works charged with personal and sociopolitical narratives. A graduate of Studio Art from York University, John has been exhibiting his work since 2006 in Ontario and Alberta, and can be found in private collections across Canada and Europe.
Mural Title
“Migrant”
Mural Statement
This piece tells the ever-more-prevailing story of habitat destruction and the ensuing migrations of native species, particularly the migration of megafauna in the Canadian north caused by anthropogenic climate warming. As their habitat warms and the ice becomes less reliable making hunting difficult, polar bears move more regularly south and into communities seeking food.
This whimsical and exaggerated image of a polar bear in a pastoral country scene intends to foster dialogue about habitat displacement and climate derangement out of the absurd juxtaposition of that bear in a place that he most definitely does not belong.