philip aziz

philip aziz

 Early years

Aziz was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, before moving to London, Ontario, at an early age.

He grew up in old South London and attended H.B. Beal Secondary School, enrolling in its arts program. Aziz graduated from Yale University with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1949. He next travelled the world, living alternately in New York City and London, Ontario, where he resided in his heritage designated home, which hosted his studio and art gallery.

From 1947 to 1949 Aziz was an art instructor at Yale University and a lecturer at various colleges and museums throughout Canada and the United States. From 1950 to 1955, Aziz lectured at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), teaching art and art history as well as helping to expand the collection at UWO's McIntosh Gallery. He was UWO's first official artist in residence in 1953. In 1972 and 1976, Aziz was the artist in residence and lecturer at the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies in Aspen, Colorado.

Aziz painted commissioned portraits of Ontario's Progressive Conservative Premier the Honourable John Robarts, Governor-General Georges Vanier and Mrs. Vanier, noted Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh, and mezzo-soprano opera star Risë Stevens.

In the late 1950s Aziz was commissioned by John Christopher Cody, London's seventh Catholic bishop, to transform the former Sacred Heart Chapel in London's St. Peter's Basilica into Christ the King Chapel and design the interior of the Lady Chapel.

Later years

In the early 1970s Aziz successfully fought for the retention and refurbishment of the historic old Court House and Gaol at the Forks of the Thames River in London, Ontario, and developed a plan for the redevelopment of the river forks, which attracted support and attention from Premier John Robarts, the then London South MP John White, author Pierre Berton, and TV and radio station owner, and newspaper publisher Walter J. Blackburn. Aziz's redevelopment plan lost by one vote at London City Council, but many of his ideas were implemented in 2005–2006, with the completion of the multi-staged, multi-million-dollar 'Forks-of-the-Thames Project'.

Aziz established the Philip Aziz Foundation of Art, a non-profit charity in London, to expand his gallery, built in 1967 as his Canadian Centennial project.

Death

Philip Aziz died on September 13, 2009, after a 10-year battle with cancer.^[2]