Andrew Sookrah

Sookrah is a raw colourist whose free brushwork is confident and powerful. His strengths can be seen in his strong sense of design, exquisite use of effective composition, confident presentation of bold colours… and in his figurative and portraiture work, his capturing the essence of the human spirit. Andrew Cheddie Sookrah was born in Guyana in 1956. In Georgetown he attended Queen’s College where he was recognized for his artistic expression from an early age having won the school’s art prize in 1971. At age 16, Sookrah started working as a designer and illustrator at Ace Advertisers (Georgetown, Guyana), and quickly moved into the role of the company art director. In 1974 Sookrah immigrated to Canada and attended multidisciplinary continuing education programs at the Ontario College of Art (OCA), George Brown College and Ryerson University. ​His beginnings in design and illustration opened a life of parallel passions. While continuing to paint and carve out his artistic existence, Sookrah involved himself in advertising and opened Engine Room Creative, a successful design development studio and advertising & marketing agency in Toronto. As the Creative Director of Engine Room, he has worked on provincial and national campaigns, as well as international campaigns in the US and UK. Sookrah’s technical knowledge and might of communication lead him into fine art instruction. Today he conducts workshops and teaches painting techniques in oil, acrylic and watercolour at various institutions including McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Richmond Hill Art School and The Lodge on Amherst Island.