Lake O’Hara and the High Country: A Painter’s Journey

Celebrating 25 Years with Canada House Gallery. Opening September 19, 2026

This September, acclaimed Canadian landscape painter Dominik Modlinski marks a significant milestone with Lake O’Hara and the High Country: A Painter’s Journey, a major solo exhibition celebrating twenty-five years of representation with Canada House Gallery in Banff.

The exhibition presents an ambitious new body of work inspired by the majestic landscapes of Lake O’Hara, the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, the Yukon, and the remote wilderness regions that have shaped Modlinski’s artistic vision for more than three decades. Featuring monumental studio paintings alongside select plein air works, the collection reflects a lifetime devoted to exploring, experiencing, and interpreting the Canadian landscape.

Renowned for his adventurous painting expeditions into some of North America’s most remote and rugged environments, Modlinski has built his career around direct engagement with the land. Whether hiking deep into alpine terrain, painting from wilderness camps, or traveling through the northern reaches of Canada, his creative process begins with immersion in the landscape itself. These firsthand experiences become the foundation for expressive studio paintings distinguished by dynamic brushwork, rich colour harmonies, and a powerful sense of atmosphere and place.

At the heart of the exhibition are a series of major new paintings inspired by Lake O’Hara and the surrounding alpine wilderness. Long regarded as one of Canada’s most celebrated mountain landscapes, O’Hara has provided Modlinski with inspiration through hiking and plein air journeys. The resulting works move beyond topographical description to capture the emotional resonance, changing light, and profound sense of wonder found in the high country.

The exhibition also features new paintings from the broader Rocky Mountain region, as well as works inspired by the Yukon, Western Canada and Alaska, reflecting the artist’s continuing fascination with wilderness, exploration, and the enduring relationship between people and the natural world.

For Modlinski, this anniversary exhibition serves not only as a celebration of a long-standing partnership with Canada House Gallery, but also as a reflection on a lifelong artistic journey.

"Over the past twenty-five years, Canada House Gallery has played an important role in my career," says Modlinski. "This exhibition is both a celebration of that relationship and a reflection on the many places that have inspired me throughout the years. Lake O’Hara, in particular, remains one of those rare landscapes that continually reveals something new—challenging me as an artist while deepening my connection to the wilderness."

Opening on September 19, 2026, Lake O’Hara and the High Country: A Painter’s Journey invites viewers into a world shaped by adventure, observation, and a profound reverence for the natural landscape.