Long Gao is a Chinese Canadian artist currently based in Vancouver, Canada. He was born in Beijing, raised in British Columbia, and educated in Toronto where he graduated from OCAD University in 2014. In 2017, he completed two artist residencies in Spain, one in Barcelona and the other in a national park in the Andalusia Region. In 2019, he took part in a 3 month artist residency program in Berlin where he lived and worked for 6 months before returning to Vancouver. Gao has held public exhibitions in Toronto, Barcelona, Berlin, and Vancouver as well as a virtual exhibition in 2020 during the pandemic.
‘The structure of today’s society increasingly detaches us from our true nature as human beings. The result is a feeling of depression, anxiety, and isolation that many of us share. Simple experiences rooted in nature can heal the soul. The feeling of sunlight on our skin or the beauty seen in flowers gives us an understanding of the world that transcends language, culture, and personal identity. My work focuses on creating beautiful moments that have the power to restore an essential part of our well-being.’ – Long Gao