Peter Tertzakian’s CV would indicate he’s a man of science, but he’s as much a man of art.
As a respected voice on the business of energy, Tertzakian has dedicated his career to the subject, especially macroeconomics and investment analysis. But he’s also a storyteller at heart, applying his analytical lens to his artistic practice—and vice versa. In his words, “A picture is worth a thousand spreadsheets.”
Tertzakian has always used creative mediums to illustrate and amplify energy's complex narratives. He is the author of several books, including international bestsellers and an anthology of creative nonfiction exploring our energy past, present, and future. He’s also an avid energy tourist, photographing the ways societies around the world supply and consume their energy.
As a lifelong art history enthusiast, Tertzakian is attracted to periods of creative disruption, such as the pop art movement. His first show—Those Who Have Seen the Invention Pronounce It Wonderful: A Modernist View of the History of Light—applied the iconic treatment to light bulbs, revealing the innovation and disruption in lighting’s form and function over the decades. The exhibition ran at Elevation Gallery in Canmore and at Heritage Park in Calgary in 2023 and 2024.
Peter’s art is available through the Peter Tertzakian Gallery, a space that encourages people to think critically and creatively about both the business and art of energy. The Peter Tertzakian Gallery: The Art of Energy is currently presenting new works by Peter Tertzakian, inspired by early twentieth-century postcards. The series incorporates his personal collection of postcards that display visuals of energy infrastructure, labor, oil fields, and electric light as symbols of industrial strength, economic promise and modern progress. These pieces consider how energy systems become normalized, absorbed into everyday communication, memory, and affection, while labor, risk and consequences embedded within them quietly recede from view.
To learn more and see the works in person visit at the gallery or check out the instagram page @PeterTertzakianGallery
75 Dyrgas Gate, Unit 106, Canmore, AB
Monday–Sunday, 11:00 am–5:00 pm