Born in 1955, Shwan showed a strong desire for art at a young age. He earned a diploma from the Fine Arts Academy of Perugia, Italy in 1982. During his studies he was attracted to several artists, in particular Bori, Tapies, Miro and later to the American abstract painters and Willem DeKooning. Shwan has also comprehensively studied art history, collage, caricature and philosophy, in addition to contemporary art. In 1983 he immigrated to Canada, finally settling in Toronto and continuing with his worldwide exhibitions.

An expert with his imagination, Shwan’s work can be best categorized as “gestural abstraction” his paint is spontaneously dribbled, splashed or smeared onto the canvas, rather than being carefully applied, resulting in work that emphasizes the physical act of painting itself as an essential aspect of the finished work.

Shwan creates works with excellent dimension. His paintings provide a model for ordering his dreams, desires and vision in visual terms that can be grasped by others. They also express a variety of moods; happiness, sadness, anger and many more. From his work you can see that his mind and spirit struggle to free themselves even beyond the forms that he lays onto the canvas, exploring what is inside himself to bring out his soul in the work. It’s not only what you see, but it’s what you feel that creates the image.

Shwan has essentially developed two approaches in his art: the first more aesthetic pays particular attention to the composition of the painting; and the second more playful He is an out-of-the box-thinker, he is not compelled to follow the rules of traditional or modern painting. Although many of his pieces fit into a theme, each Shwan piece is a production that incorporates movement and passion. Shwan has to his credit 50 solo shows and collective exhibitions, notably in Italy, Switzerland, Canada and the United States. Several of his works are part of the collection of the Canadian Museum of History.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Shwan Galleries, Calgary, Canada 1999 – 2007
Gallery 2, Toronto, ON 2005
Museum Kowshung, Taiwan 2000
Royal Picture Frame, Toronto, Canada 1998
Reanata Gallery, Toronto, ON 1992-1995
York University, Toronto, ON 1993-1995
Studio 1001, Toronto, ON 1992
Galleria del Sole, Perugia, Italy 1991
Pointe Gallery, Lausane, Switzerland 1987-1991
Hittite Gallery, Toronto, ON 1989
Skema Gallery, Perugia, Italy 1989
Casa del Popolo, Perugia, Italy 1987-1988
Studio 504, Toronto, ON 1986
Detroit University, Detroit, MI 1985
University of Edmonton, Edmonton, AB 1983
Centro D’Arte, Perugia, Italy 1983
Venucci Gallery, Perugia, Italy 1982
Commune di Assisi, Italy 1981
Gaitano Gallery, Rimini, Italy 1980
2000 Gallery, Bologna, Italy 1979
Commune de Citta di Castello, Italy 1979
Commune di Perugia, Italy 1979