Steven West is a fine art photographer with a practice centred around innovative techniques of combining photographic art and science.
Building on his personal experiences as an innovator and technologist, West is exploring the diversity of life and the impact of technology shaping our futures. His image making seeks to use experimental techniques and novel imaging technologies in exploring the narrative of objectivity derived from research in science and technology. His images are visualized when innovation in art and science come together.
His most recent work, entitled Beautiful Minds, is both an exhibition and a book, of images, portraits and stories that unravel the mysteries of the human brain and explore the consciousness of people with lived experiences of substance use disorders. The Beautiful Minds project evolved combining images of brains and recording inspiring stories of people with lived experiences of addictions, alongside photographs of those very same people who were willing and open to share their experiences.
Steve West is President of Westmax Group Inc. and has been working in the Health Sciences sector since 2000. He was Chief Executive Officer of MDS & Nordion Inc. from 2010 and served as CEO until the company privatized in 2014. Steve is a Corporate Board director and a committee chair for TSO3 (TSO:TSX), a TSX listed company.
Previously, West was a Senior Partner at MDS Capital Corp. a $1.3 billion global Health Sciences venture capital fund, from 2000 until 2003. Prior to that, he was an executive board director of Unilever Canada. His background includes various corporate roles for Unilever and he had Chief Executive Officer assignments and as a Regional Vice-President, lived and worked in Asia and the Pacific Rim for eleven years. West was also head of global R@D for Diversey Corp. He has a degree in Zoology from London University (UK) and a Ph.D candidate in Biotechnology and for several years was a Brewmaster in the UK.
West is also a hands-on volunteer in the community with roles in leading business organizations and health care philanthropy. He joined The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Board in 2006 and was Chair from 2013-16. He is also past Chair of The Ottawa Hospital Gala and was Co-Chair of the Foundation’s 20-20 Fund Raising Campaign; a campaign that raised $24 million in just 20 months to build a new Cancer Centre.
West has served as the Chair of the Ottawa Innovation Centre Corporation at Bayview Yards and was a Director of Invest Ottawa. He has also served as Board Chair of ISTPCanada and has been a director of the Canadian Science & Technology Museums Corporation Foundation. He was the co-Chair of the Ottawa Life Sciences Cluster Executive, was a board member of The Ottawa Partnership and from time to time has been an advisor to the Canadian Ministry of International Trade and has represented Canada at overseas business and trade events. He has served as a member of the Joint Committee for the Canada-India Science & Technology Agreement, was an executive board member of the Canadian Nuclear Association, a member of the Business Council of Canada and committee chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
West was recently awarded the Sovereigns Medal by the Governor
General of Canada.
Education:
B.Sc. (Hons) Zoology & Genetics, University of London
M. Phil, University of Westminster
Completed postgraduate research for a Ph.D. (Biotechnology)
Ph.D. Examiner, Council for National Academic Awards
Diploma in Photographic Arts and Production (SPAO)
Work Experience:
2014 - President of Westmax Group Inc. and has been working in the Health Sciences sector for over twenty years.
2010-2014 - Chief Executive Officer of MDS & Nordion Inc.
2020: Artist in Residence (SPAO)
Awards:
Sovereigns Medal ( Governor General of Canada).
Selected Exhibitions:
Work has been displayed at the SPAO open house, the Point of View Gallery and the A+ exhibition SPAO.
2023 Honorable Mention, International Photography Awards, Professional, Book.
2023 Altern Studio, Group show, Ottawa.
2022 Apex Exhibition, SPAO Gallery, Ottawa, Canada
2022 Featured work, Leaders in Mental Health
2022 Season of Growth, Lansdowne Art Installation, Ottawa 2021 Stay Silent Drift Deep, Group Exhibition,
SPAO Gallery, Ottawa
2020 Exhibition No. 15, Group Exhibit, SPAO Gallery, Ottawa
2019 The Grey Zone, Group Exhibit, SPAO Gallery, Ottawa
2019 Exhibition 14, Group Exhibit, SPAO Gallery, Ottawa
2018 Bones, Group Exhibit, SPAO Gallery, Ottawa
2018 Bare, Group Exhibit, SPAO Gallery, Ottawa
Links and interviews:
https://www.theroyal.ca/events/under-lens-series-beautiful-minds