Art in the Snug – William Kozar

William Kozar is a valuable member of Hastings House’s gardens and flower team and is known for his concept-based abstract art created with non-traditional paint mediums like mirror gloss epoxy. Though he was based in New York for almost twenty years, he is inspired by the colour and upbeat quality of West Coast art.

Early Years

Originally from Vancouver, William spent a year at Emily Carr University of Art and Design before moving to Toronto to work on a jewelry line for Holt Renfrew. In 1998, he moved to New York where he was represented by fashion design agent Fragments. In New York, he created accessories for designers, including Oscar de la Renta and Dean and Dan Caten.

A Return to Painting

In 2004, he returned to painting, producing a series of 30 paintings called Pictorial Atmosphere using oil paint on mirrored acrylic. In his Formula 2 series, he explored using equal amounts of black and white paint on canvas. The Glitter series was inspired by his time in fashion and captures the ephemeral glamour of the industry.

He is currently working on a series with the working title Portals for Humanity. It is a reaction against the use of artificial intelligence in art production. “AI created art can only copy not truly create and is soulless in any attempt to replace the artist.” These paintings use negative space to draw the viewer into the painting. The series advocates for the human element in art and wants to declare that “painting is very much alive.”

Several of William’s paintings are in the Edward Alby Arts Foundation collection. He is also featured in the Restoration Hardware corporate collection in their New York flagship showroom. One of the pieces, purchased in the 1st Dibs showroom in New York, was flown by private jet to its new home in Dubai. His art has been shown at the Wooster Art Space and the Mulberry Street library in SoHo.

William’s art was displayed at Hastings House’s Art in the Snug gallery May 17 – June 7, 2024.