Masterworks: Meet Peter Dusek

In today’s world, the eyes and the soul are assaulted by a myriad of things, causing us to lose our focus, become scattered, and even blinded to the simple beauty hidden around us. Peter Dušek is an awardwinning Canadian photographer whose toned black and white photographs give us a glimpse of this beauty, hidden like a special shell amongst the pebbles on a beach. Inspired by the philosophies of Japanese Zen and Chinese Tao, Peter places a strong emphasis on balance and negative space and his artistic design goal is “as little as possible, as much as necessary”, giving an almost abstract quality to his intimate landscapes. His style embodies the Japanese design aesthetic shibumi, which means “a quiet elegance”. In this simplicity can be found the serenity and perhaps even the happiness that often eludes us.

Peter is represented by Abbozzo Gallery in Toronto and Naomi Stuecker/Paul Paletti Gallery in
Louisville, Kentucky. His first solo exhibition, Tranquility, at Abbozzo Gallery in 2015, sold out almost
two and a half times over, with Saks Fifth Avenue acquiring two complete sets to represent Canadian
Art at their two stores in Toronto. He was awarded “Best of 2015” by the American Society of Media
Photographers, “Best Work by an Emerging Artist” by the Ontario Society of Artists, and his work has been shown at the Affordable Art Fair in New York City, alongside art from 70 international galleries.

Peter had his second major exhibition, Serenity, at Abbozzo Gallery in 2017 as part of the Scotiabank
CONTACT Photography Festival, the largest photography event in the world. His work was featured
in the Summer 2017 issue of Arabella art and design magazine. He has exhibited in numerous galleries across Canada and the USA, including the Paul Paletti Gallery (Louisville, Kentucky), the John B. Aid Gallery (Toronto), the Papermill Gallery at Todmorden Mills (Toronto), the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (Kleinburg, Ontario), and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (Oshawa). Peter’s work is held in private and corporate collections throughout North America.

Peter was elected to the Ontario Society of Artists in 2015 and the Society of Canadian Artists in 2016. He is also a proud member of the Rotary Club of Etobicoke and the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC). Great photography is the rare marriage of the creativity of art with the technique of craft and the precision of science. If any one of these elements is missing, a photograph falls short of its full potential. Peter’s photography benefits from over 25 years of experience as a computer consultant and programmer, building sophisticated database systems, which requires a similar blend of creativity, craft and extreme attention to detail.

Born in Bratislava, Slovakia, Peter moved to Canada when he was seven years old. He lives in the
beautiful Hockley Valley, Ontario with his wife, dog and cat, exploring the countryside by motorcycle,
bicycle, or on foot, often accompanied by his dog, Daisy. His frequent excursions give him a deep
familiarity and affinity with some of Ontario’s most beautiful lands.

AWARDS:
​2019 The President’s Award, Ontario Society of Artists
2018 Honorable Mention, IPA International Photography Awards 2018
2017 Best Landscape Award, RMG Exposed 2017, Art auction, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery,
Oshawa, ON
People’s Choice, Ontario Greenbelt / McMichael Canadian Art Collection / Professional
Photographers of Canada Photo Contest, ON
2016 Elected to the Society of Canadian Artists
Honorable Mention, IPA International Photography Awards 2016
Honourable Mention, Ontario Society of Artists Members’ Exhibition of Selected Works, Toronto,
ON
Curry's Award, Ontario Society of Artists, Toronto, ON
2015 Elected to the Ontario Society of Artists
ASMP Best of 2015, American Society of Media Photographers, USA
Honourable Mention, IPOTY International Photographer of the Year
Best Work by an Emerging Artist, Ontario Society of Artists, Toronto, ON
Honorable Mention, Neutral Density Photography Awards, ND Magazine
Juror's Choice Second Place, Orangeville Art Group, Orangeville, ON
2014 Juror's Choice, Headwaters Arts, Headwaters Arts Gallery, Alton, ON