What is Christopher Banfalvi?
Chris Banfalvi studied Graphic Design at St Lawrence College and found that his creative passions were not totally fulfilled… until he transitioned into the world of metal arts and became a metal sculptor. From the first time he started working with metal, he loved the way it could be shaped into elegant or rigid forms.
He has a love for bringing ideas to life with designers and creating public art with functionality. The demanding physical nature of the process makes each work of art personal. Each piece retains a part of him.
Chris founded Dark Genesis Corporation and his passion for breathing new life into found objects was realized. From his perspective, it’s all about the connections: his connectivity with the material and the connections with other designers and the public.
His 1400 sq. ft. Ottawa based studio is surrounded by metal gardens that abound with elaborate statues bearing crystals and semi-precious stones, that aim to set the imagination soaring.
What is Dark Genesis?
An artistic style in relation to Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The Dark Genesis Style expresses fluid forms in contrast to nature. Illustrating a world full of elegant steel based life-forms. Created from the spontaneous integration of discarded technology with forged steel. Evolving towards a direction of pristine forms made from stainless steel.
Past Artistic Exposure
Oct. 2010 – Featured on Regional Contact
Showcased as an emerging artist with my developing style in metal sculpting.
June 2011 – Showcased at Art in the Park
with the Napean Fine Arts League in Ottawa.
Aug. 2011 – Showcased in the Westport Fine Arts Festival
as a collaborative artist with Linda Banfalvi.
July 2012 – Juried into the Toronto Outdoor Exhibition
showcasing the first full series of collaborative pieces created with Linda Banfalvi.
Sep. 2012 – Invited to Exhibit at the Hyatt Regency
3 month exhibition showcasing 3 large sculptures themed in conjunction to the TIFF event.
Sep. 2012 – Invited to Exhibit & Curated The Super Wonder Gallery
for the Super Naughty Exhibition – Contemporary Fine Art with an erotic theme.
Oct. 2012 – Invited to Exhibit with Art Fusion
Contemporary Fine Art and the preforming arts.
Nov. 2012 – Invited to Exhibit at The Super Wonder Gallery
for the Super Sci-Fi Contemporary Fine Art exhibition – Interviewed and featured on Space Tv.
May-June 2013 – Invited to Exhibit at the “Made” Exhibition
at the Cube Gallery Ottawa – Fine Art Exhibition showcasing work made from society’s detritus.
May-Sep 2013 – Showcased at the Ottawa Art Market
on Sparks’ Street Artist Ally and featured on Roger’s Tv.
June 2013 – Juried into FIMA Festival International Montreal en Arts
5 Day street festival of fine arts on rue st. Catherine.
June 2013 – Invited to Exhibit at the “One Hit Wonders” Exhibition
showcasing Art made from non-conventional materials at the Orange Art Gallery Ottawa.
Sep. 2013 – Invited to Exhibit at The Super Wonder Gallery
For the Million Dollar Monster Show Contemporary fine art – Interviewed and Featured on Space TV.
Sep. 2013 – Nuit Blanche Toronto
Apart of the city wide event with Sculptures out front the Drake hotel on Queens street.
Sep. 2013 – Nuit Blanche Ottawa
Apart of the event showcasing sculpture with the Orange Art Gallery
Nov. 2013 – Open House/ Art Gallery
Showcasing the Collections of work done by Linda & Chris Banfalvi.
Dec. 2013 – Curated the Leah Hicks Gallery
House Gallery showcasing works done by both Leah Hicks, Chris Banfalvi and the series of collaborations created together.
Mar. 2014 – Showcased at Comicon Toronto
3 day event at the Metro Convention Centre – Interviewed and featured on CItynews.
Apr. 2014 – Showcased at Superfan Comicon Toronto
3 day event at the Better Living Centre – Interviewed and featured on Live CP TV.
May 2014 – Curated & Opened Organic Conception Gallery
in Smith’s Falls showcasing Fine Art produced by Leah Hicks, Chris Banfalvi and local artists
– Featured on front page of the Smithsfalls EMC with blessing of the Mayor cutting the official red tape.
June 2014 – Juried into FIMA Festival International Montreal en Arts
5 Day street festival of Fine Art on rue St. Catherine – Won best in show and awarded the discovery award.
Aug. 2014 -Invited to Exhibit at the Canadian National Exhibition
Showcasing The Throne of Abstracted Gods for 18 days at the Betterliving Centre Toronto.
Aug. 2014 – Showcased at FanExpo Toronto
4 day event at the Metro Convention Centre featuring interactive Fine Art.
Sep. 2014 – Showcased at Comicon Montreal
3 day event at the Palais du Congres featuring interactive Fine Art.
Sep. 2014 – Invited to Exhibit at Galerie Carte Blanche
1 Week Solo Exhibition in the Montreal village – granted as the discovery award by FIMA.
Sep. 2014 – Juried into the Ottawa Art Expo
3 day Fine Art Exhibition at the St.Elias Centre Ottawa.
Mar. 2015 – Invited to Exhibit at ‘Exhibition Monochrome’
11 day Exhibition at Gallery L’Espace Contemporain Montreal.
Apr. 2015 – Invited to Exhibit at the Uranium Film Festival
1 night Exhibition in Quebec City – showcasing sculptures utilized in display for celebrity photoshoots.
May 2015 – Showcased at SIDIM Salon International du Design de Montréal
3 day Design and Fine Arts Exhibition at Place Bonaventure.
June 2015 – Showcased at Art in the Park
2 day Fine Art Exhibition in the Glebe, Ottawa.
July 2015 – Showcased at Montreal en Arts
5 Day street festival of Fine Art on rue St. Catherine.
Jan. 2016 – Invited to host Solo Exhibit ‘Cast from Heaven’ at the Orange Art Gallery
19 days showcasing over 40 sculptures at the Orange Art Gallery in Ottawa
Front page coverage on the Ottawa Citizen with full page column in the ‘You’ section.
– Interviewed by Peter Simpson.
June 2016 – Showcased at Kiwi Gardens
Juried into the 2 day Fine Art Outdoor Exhibition.
July 2016 – Preformed Live at Mayofest
Showcasing Sculptural work and live blacksmithing for 4 days in Quebec.
Oct. 2016 – Invited to Exhibit at The Maker Fair
2 day Exhibition of Art and Science at Lansdowne Park Ottawa.
Jan. 2017 – Invited to host Solo Exhibition ‘Ascension’ at the Orange Art Gallery
22 days showcasing over 40 sculptures at the Orange Art Gallery in Ottawa.
April-Nov. 2017 – Opened Dark Genesis Corporation’s Fine Art Sculpture Garden and Studio Frankville, ON.
Officially open to the public for curious drop-ins or those looking for fine art or commissions.
June. 2017 – Apart of Fantasy in the Forest Westport, ON.
3 day fine art and craft exhibition.
July. 2017 – Invited to participate in Apple Crate Gallery’s Fine Art Sculpture Exhibition in Manotick, ON.
Month long exhibition of fine art sculpture featuring 18 artists. 20+ pieces of my own inside/outside the gallery.
Sep. 2017 – Invited to host Duo Collaborative Exhibition at Artistic Inklings Picton, ON.
1 month exhibition featuring sculpture by Chris Banfalvi, Paintings by Linda Banfalvi and the collaborations created by the two.
Sep. 2017 – Invited to participate in Culture Days Brockville
3 day open studio/sculpture garden tour with live demonstration at the main street event in Brockville, ON.
Oct. 2017 – Apart of Dimensions Ottawa 2017
4 day exhibition showcasing 150 fine art sculptures from members of the National Capital Network of Sculptors