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PIGOTT, Marjorie

Born
Yokohama, Japan, 1904
Died
Toronto, Canada, 1990
Biography synopsis
Marjorie Pigott was the daughter of an English man and a Japanese woman of noble birth. Her mother recognized her artistic talent and sent her to the Nanga School, the disciplined school where she studied under master artists. After twelve years she received her Seal Diploma and a Master Diploma designating her a Nanga Master. During World War II she and her sister Edith left Japan. They arrived in Vancouver in 1940 and then settled in Toronto. The first years she worked for a commercial firm doing floral studies. From 1955 to 1965 she taught the Nanga technique to Japanese in Canada. She started painting Canadian scenes employing the Nanga technique and gradually she developed her own style of semi-abstract wet-into-wet watercolour in landscape and floral painting. Her work was exhibited in several solo exhibitions, including the Roberts Gallery, Toronto (1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974); Wallack Gallery, Ottawa (1971, 1973, 1975); Kensington Fine Arts Gallery, Calgary (1969, 1972); Gallery Fore, Winnipeg (1972). She also participated in many group shows: 4th Biennial Exhibition of Canadian Art, Ottawa, (1961); Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour; Canadian National Exhibition Art Gallery, Toronto; Ontario Society of Artists; London Regional Art Gallery (1961), Annuals of the Art Gallery of Hamilton (1962, 1963), Ontario Society of Artists; Spring Exhibition of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1964). Her work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada; the London Art Gallery, Sony of Canada Ltd., Winnipeg, Man; Art Gallery of Sarnia, Ontario; the University of Toronto, University College; the University of Western Ontario; the Rothman Collection of Canada, among many others. Marjorie Pigott was member of the Royal Canadian Academy (ARCA 1971; RCA 1973); the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (1964); and the Ontario Society of Artists (1963).
Media used
Painting
Watercolour
Memberships
Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour
Ontario Society of Artists
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
File & Archive locations
National Gallery of Canada, ON - Library and Archives
University of Toronto Libraries, ON
University of Western Ontario
McLaughlin Public Library, ON
London Art Gallery, ON
Art Gallery of Ontario - Edward P. Taylor Research Library and Archives
Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Documentation Centre, QC
Edmonton Art Gallery, AB - Library
Hamilton Public Library, ON - Local History and Archives Department
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, QC
Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, QC - Media Centre
University of British Columbia - Fine Arts Library
University of Calgary Library, AB
Vancouver Art Gallery, BC - Library
Winnipeg Art Gallery, MA - Clara Lander Library
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Writings about
"Artist at Work." Globe and Mail (Toronto) 11 May 1961
"Centre Presented Paintings." Journal Pioneer (Summerside) 11 Oct. 1973
"In Oriental Manner." Globe and Mail (Toronto) 18 Jul. 1959
"Marjorie Pigott." Globe and Mail (Toronto) 25 Nov. 1972
"Pigott Paintings on View." Winnipeg Tribune 4 Nov. 1972
Bergin, Jenny. "Exhibition Fascinating Combinations of Styles." Ottawa Citizen 15 Oct. 1971
Bergin, Jenny. "Flower Paintings Capture Delicacy." Ottawa Citizen 5 Oct. 1973
Crawford, Lenore. "Color on Canvas- Marjorie Pigott Water Color Added to London Collection." London Evening Free Press 2 Dec. 1961
Graham, John W. "A Critique by John W. Graham- Saying Much with Little." Winnipeg Free Press 25 Nov. 1972
Kritzwiser, Kay. M. Pigott: A Presentation of Paintings by M. Pigott. Toronto: Roberts Gallery, 1978
Kritzwiser, Kay. "Review." Globe and Mail (Toronto) 22 Oct. 1966
Kritzwiser, Kay. "Some Paintings for Sale - Art Gives Flower Show New Scope." Globe and Mail (Toronto) 4 Mar. 1970
MacDonald, Colin S. The Dictionary of Canadian Artists. (Volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker) Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2009.
Ontario Society of Artists. Catalogue of the Ninety-Seventh Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture of the Ontario Society of Artists, 1969. London, Ontario: Unknown, 1969
Rand, Stephen. "Who is Marjorie Pigott? Just a very fine artist." Silhouette (Hamilton) 27 Nov. 1970
Sabiston, Colin. "Oriental Mysticism Flavours Local Scene." Globe and Mail (Toronto) 27 May 1961
Sarnia Public Library and Art Gallery. Ways of Seeing, Ways of Saying: Mercèdés Horne & Marjorie Pigott. Sarnia: Sarnia Public Library and Art Gallery, 1982
W.Q.K. "Landscapes, Floral Scenes Soft, Poetic." Ottawa Journal 14 Oct. 1971
W.Q.K. "Marj Pigott's Canvases Have Oriental Touch." Ottawa Journal 3 Oct. 1973
Walker, Kathleen. "Art- Canadian Landscape in a Japanese Style." Ottawa Citizen 25 Oct. 1975

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