© 2025 Willa Downing

Willa Downing, Artist _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________

Biography



A Canadian artist, Willa Downing grew up in southwestern Ontario and moved to Vancouver BC to study at the University of British Columbia, where she obtained a PhD in biochemistry. As a scientist, she has worked in plant research in Canada and abroad. Her scientific work has been published in several international, peer-reviewed journals.


Willa is also passionate about making art. She has a diploma in painting and drawing from Emily Carr College (now University) of Art & Design, Vancouver. Her artwork, inspired by science and mathematics, has been exhibited in British Columbia and Alberta.


Willa has taught at ECUAD, and has given lectures in plant biotechnology at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. She now lives and works in Surrey BC, where she is a founding member of Z•inc Artist Collective. She is a long-time volunteer at Surrey’s Darts Hill Garden.