Markian Olynyk was born in Toronto and at the age of 12 moved with his family to Victoria, BC. For a number of years after high school, Markian spent his summers working in logging camps throughout British Columbia to support his winters skiing the mountains near Banff. In 1977 he dropped in on a friend who was building a Tiffany lamp. His life changed - his journey of glass exploration had begun.
Working from his studio in Vancouver, Markian creates works that appear in commercial buildings, private residences and public spaces. Clients have included international airports, hospitals, corporate headquarters, places of worship, luxury hotels and restaurants worldwide.
Markian is a self taught artist employing a wide variety of innovative techniques, many of which have been developed in his studio. He focuses on commissioned site-specific architectural projects as well as screens and sculptures for galleries. Site-specific projects are often large-scale, providing opportunities to explore a different theme with each work. Markian has a passion for creating work which is integrated and relevant... he loves to create pieces with a story. Gallery pieces come from a different place. They are created with no site in mind... expressive works of composition, color and texture.
Markian's work is in private collections and public spaces worldwide, and has been published in numerous books and magazines.
Markian lives in Vancouver, with business partner Susan Robertson. They have four children.