An Alberta artist was one of 350 selected to showcase his work at a prestigious art show in London, England, earlier this month. Stephen Bend’s piece, called Passion Ascending, was selected from more than 10,000 submissions for London Art Biennale 2025, which ran from July 17 to 20. The event showcased selected museum-level works created by artists in 60 nations. “I was bowled away on the opening night (July 16th),” he said. “We could hardly move; it was shoulder to shoulder. I’m not joking! It was full, and when [my wife] Phyllis and I decided, ‘Okay, we need to go and get some fresh air.’ We left at 8 p.m. and they were still lining up to get in, and it was like that every day.” Bend says the reception to his creation was positive from both organizers and visitors to the free event. “I had one interesting interaction with one of the curators, who said that this was one piece that really spoke to her,” he said. “There are people who really feel that connection, and then some people will be a little bit cold, but for those that feel the connection – that’s rewarding." Bend lives in Canmore, and paints for himself, his family and friends. He’s a retired geologist with a background in art and has painted pretty much his whole life. His son Christopher, who lives in Toronto now, says he encouraged his dad to submit his work to various events. “He was producing such a quantity of high-quality works that it was a shame to just have them sitting around the house,” he said. “So it originally started with me sending him a few galleries on Instagram – really small ones – casting for artists.” The Biennale was the biggest on the list, and a little intimidating for Stephen to apply to. He says he actually forgot to put his last name on the submission and didn’t hear back from organizers, so he went online to look through the 350 accepted pieces. “I thought, ‘I’ll go on the website and I’ll just enjoy the pieces that they’ve selected,’” he said. “So I go through the Bs, and nothing, okay that’s fine, I can live with that, no problem, and I’m scrolling through, and I come to the Ss, and there’s a Stephen with my piece – so it was very emotional.” The London Art Biennale is a biannual contemporary art exhibition open to all artistic styles and disciplines with no set theme. Though held in Chealsea Old Town Hall, It’s organized in partnership with Gagliardi Gallery, and is known for its high curatorial standards and its celebration of cultural diversity. It attracts collectors, critics and thousands of visitors. Every second year the event is held in Italy. Now, Bend says he’s keen to submit a piece for next year. “The piece I’m working on right now, it’s actually called End of Love,” he said. Christopher says he’s proud of his dad for taking the leap to share his work with a global audience. “It was just so overdue, genuinely. He’s an amazing artist and the reception he’s getting is truly just solidifying this,” he said. “I’m so proud of him; he’s my best friend but I look up to him every day and in every facet of life.”
