Emily Cowan is a self-taught fine arts painter working primarily with acrylic gouache. In a style she has named “architectural portraiture”, her work focuses on houses, apartments, and domestic interiors. She uses bright colours and architectural forms to explore themes of housing justice, the emotional weight of the global housing crisis, and the shared humanity people express through the decoration and presentation of the buildings they inhabit and the homes they make. Cowan exhibited her first solo show in 2025 and has participated in numerous group shows across Vancouver and the lower mainland. She has a second solo show scheduled for September 2026. With over 30 commissions to date, her art (both custom and original) is part of dozens of private collections and has also been highlighted by local media.
