Much in the same way as his modernist predecessors, Dorland’s paintings are characterized by a densely impastoed surface, developed through an intensive process of layering and scraping paint from the canvas. Since relocating to Vancouver from Toronto in 2014, Dorland has been acclimatizing to the Northwest Coast, which features in his current paintings as a mysterious and enigmatic setting where alienated figures hover within lush forests. Born in Wainwright, Alberta, in 1974, Dorland holds a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver, and an MFA from York University, Toronto.