Torben V. Kristiansen, a legendary figure in the Canadian art world, was a steadfast champion of Jack Shadbolt for many decades. As the owner and operator of the Art Emporium on Granville Street for more than 60 years, Kristiansen was both an astute collector and a discerning dealer of Shadbolt’s work throughout this remarkable period. Kristiansen’s passion for collecting extended broadly across Canadian art - he was an avid supporter of the Group of Seven, Jean Paul Riopelle, Tom Thomson, with a particular focus on artists from British Columbia such as Emily Carr, Gordon Smith and Shadbolt, among others.

Larger than life - much like Shadbolt himself - Kristiansen often spoke in his later years about the idea of an auction dedicated solely to Shadbolt’s work. Heffel is honoured to present this curated selection from his storied collection.

For the biography on Torben V. Kristiansen in PDF format, please click here.