Artist's Biography

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Born and raised in Newmarket, 1968. Blair McLean moved to Toronto to pursue his first artistic endeavour, body piercing and scarification, for which he has received international recognition. 
Scarification is an artistic application of scars in a controlled environment, utilizing scratching, cutting, etching, and most pertinently burning of the skin. This form of body modification can be traced back through history and through many tribal cultures, most notably the tribes of the Maori. After mastering his skills in the body art realm, Blair moved into visual arts, working with canvas and acrylic, sculpture, and of course, pyrography. Pyrography derived from the Greek term purgraphos meaning “writing with fire,” this technique has been traced into prehistory. By developing his own technique outside of the common practices of modern pyrographers, without the use of a burning tool kit, Blair arms himself with a blowtorch, a random assortment of makeshift metal, some metal rulers, and glass to create quintessential imagery of the world around us. Basing his numerous series on nature and development, from agricultural scenery to green living to micro home architecture. A welcome addition to the ranks of artists we currently represent.