Originally from Warsaw, Poland, Dominik Modlinski immigrated to Canada in 1987 at the age of 16 with his family. Originally moving to Ontario, he studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design. After graduating, he moved to the Algoma region, and that’s where the exploration into wilderness painting began.

Modlinski’s art captures the feeling of a place. He starts with plein air sketches, which are done on location, and then he moves into the studio to complete larger canvases.

“He likes to go into wild places in relatively untouched areas. He’s bringing awareness to these places and sharing these places through his eyes.”

“Working on location with plein air painting allows him to respond to weather, light, and terrain as they unfold, and those experiences become the foundation of the studio paintings,” says Amber Fougere from Canada House Gallery, where Modlinski’s art is displayed. “He uses the plein air paintings, sketches, and photography as references, but the memory of the place — the wind, the silence, the effort — shapes the final composition.”

When the World Pauses - Lake Ohara, oil on canvas, Dominik Modlinski

He’ll travel with a number of the sketch panels as he travels deep into wild spaces. He’ll be gone for days or even weeks at a time, so he can paint on location. He’ll access these locations via kayak, a 4x4, a motorcycle, and even a Russian icebreaker to Antarctica. His travels take him all over the world, including Chile, Patagonia, the Arctic, and more. He’s had some pretty incredible experiences.

“He likes to go into wild places in relatively untouched areas. He’s bringing awareness to these places and sharing these places through his eyes.”

Here in the Canadian Rockies, Modlinski likes to paint in the national parks, particularly Kootenay and Yoho. He also does artist-in-residence events at places like Storm Mountain Lodge  and Num-Ti-Jah.

This year marks Modlinski’s 25th year with Canada House Gallery in Banff. There will be a celebration on September 19, 2026 with a milestone exhibition. “Twenty-five years with a gallery is incredible, it’s a real celebration. He is releasing pieces along the way, and it’s really exciting to watch these pieces come to life. He’s sharing progress photos of the canvases as he’s painting, and then to see the finished piece, along with all of the finished pieces in one place at one time, will be exceptional.”

“Here at Canada House, we are excited and proud to host this milestone exhibition. Twenty-five years of creating work and showing here at this gallery has been remarkable. We brought him on at such a young age, and he’s had such a lengthy career with us, with no signs of it stopping.

You can see Dominik Modlinski’s work on display at Canada House Gallery in Banff. Make sure to stop by during his 25-year milestone exhibition to meet the artist and see his incredible work.