Tanya Bub is an eco-artist who creates sculptures of animals and people from found wood and recycled materials. A signature feature of her work is making inanimate objects appear to be so alive that is it almost impossible to resist the feeling that there is a living being present. Her pieces borrow energy from the elements out of which they are comprised, be it the life force in a piece of driftwood whose history and struggles are tangible in its tortuous twists and curves, the text and images from magazine clippings incorporated into her sculptural collages, or recycled plastics that speak of a history or consumption. While addressing serious issues like our interconnectedness with the environment, her work is whimsical, warm, humorous and highly relatable, evoking joy and even laughter, even in people who are not necessarily moved by conventional artwork.
She has displayed pieces and installations in various venues around Victoria including the Empress Hotel, The Bay Centre, Emily Carr House, MEC, The Malahat Skywalk, The Brentwood Bay Resort and the Oak Bay Marina and Marina Restaurant, as well as at the Bentall Centre in Vancouver. Her work can also be found at the Gage Art Gallery in Bastion Square.
While she studied conventional oil painting and ceramics at The Emily Carr University of Art and Design, her current practice, which is part of the eco-art movement, is self-taught. She has also enjoyed a career as a computer programmer and written two physics books, one on quantum mechanics and another on relativity.
