About the Artist

Lyndon Simmons was born and raised in small town Southern Alberta into a large Mormon family. In his early 20s, Lyndon served as a Mormon missionary in the South of France where he grappled with the intersection of religion and self-discovery, ultimately embracing his innate curiosity and thirst for truth and authentic expression.

Before moving to Ottawa to become a federal public servant, Lyndon studied English and French literature at the University of Lethbridge. He found solace and inspiration from the timeless works of classic poets, renaissance playwrights, and modern thinkers who echoed his own struggles and triumphs. Literature became both a guiding light and a space for Lyndon to explore and embrace his own queerness and love of social justice.

In his early 40s, Lyndon transitioned to visual arts as a way to help balance his need for artistic expression with the demands of a high-octane career. He studied oil painting at the Ottawa School of Art and also completed atelier training in the United States.

In 2023, Lyndon was invited to be the Artist in Residence at the Ottawa School of Art where he is currently showing his first solo exhibit of portraits based on his queer interpretation of the characters of John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Combining traditional materials and oil painting methods with tongue and cheek storytelling, he invites his audience to question their own assumptions about the myths that are the foundation of Western modern society.

Lyndon’s artistic work will continue to build on his unique perspective and to push boundaries where he will explore the tensions between traditional western beliefs and our evolving social sensibilities. And while he is not afraid to show the uglier sides of human behavior, Lyndon is an eternal optimist, and would like the body of his work to chronicle our progress towards a world where everyone can live authentically and unapologetically.