ALYS WILLIAMS: Feature Artist November 2023
FEATURED ARTIST: NOVEMBER 1 - 30
Fine art landscape photographer Alys Williams had just graduated from high school when one of the largest acts of mass civil disobedience in Canadian history occurred. Almost 1,000 people were arrested in what would become known as the War in the Woods.
The arrests of youth and elders protesting against clearcut logging of old-growth forests were seen on television screens and in newspapers around the world. Images of these events in BC’s Clayoquot Sound, an area so close to her heart, had a profound effect and solidified Alys’s passion to share the importance of safely connecting people with nature.
Alys was deeply inspired by her parents, who left the Netherlands to move to the incredible mountains, forests, and open spaces of BC. She grew up spending summers immersed in nature, largely isolated from standard commercial vacation trips. A childhood of turning to nature for entertainment and connection set the course for her life.
Her relationship with the outdoors also drove her career. Obtaining a role in sustainable development and a BSc in Biology/Ecology, Alys moved from one opportunity and promotion to another until she found that her “successful” corporate career had somehow taken her away from the very thing that brought her joy. She turned to photography for reconnection.
Not simply a passion, photography has become her excuse to escape. To backpack her way into nature and savour every moment. Off the beaten path, every day is fully experienced. Endured. Survived. Enjoyed. She engages every sense and through her camera, every memory is deeply imprinted. While in the wild, unable to retreat, she fully lives.
An award-winning photographer and member of the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC), Alys has earned National Accreditation in fine art, landscape, nature, animal portrait, travel, and night photography. She lives on Bowen Island with her partner and their children, teaching photography to inspire future artists in her community and escaping into the most remote areas of the planet whenever possible.
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