Calgary artist Lylian Klimek has had a very active studio practice focused on sculpture and installation for several decades. She has exhibited widely in many solo shows, three/four artist shows and group shows primarily in public galleries and artist run centres. She had to step away from the studio several years ago to deal with crisis situations in her family and circle of friends. She was able to resume her studio practice in 2018. Work began in 2018 marks a departure from a long time focus on the nature-culture interface. An experimental and research based approach to artmaking characterizes her work. A focus on ideas, emphasis on research in science fact and science fiction informed by personal experience ,as well as a wide ranging exploration of the expressive potential of materials and forms are central to her practice. This approach has resulted in a large body of work which relies on a structure of thought and strategies for investigating social and political issues rather than upon an easily identifiable signature style. She taught in the sculpture department and the first year studies department of the Alberta College of Art and Design( now AUArts) for twenty-four years and was especially active in curriculum development. She also served on juries for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and, recently, has served on juries for the City of Calgary Public Art program. She is a member of the Programming Committee and jury member for an artist run centre and has been for a number of years. Educated at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Alberta, she earned graduate degrees in sociology and in sculpture.
Her work is included in a number of public collections.