Douglas Bentham was born in 1947 in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, and his family moved to Saskatoon in 1959. He studied painting at Saskatoon's University of Saskatchewan, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1969, and later went on to study sculpture there, receiving his Master of Fine Arts in 1989.
Doug Bentham was influenced by American sculptor David Smith and English sculptor Anthony Caro and sought to create innovative work that reflected his environment. He wrote, “I’m influenced by landscape, by architecture, by urban spaces and, always, by light — by whatever can infuse an object with its own spirit.” Before the 1980s, he used plate, sheet or rod steel in most of his work, later turning to metal, wood, and found objects.
Doug Bentham's work has been a part of over 50 solo and 100 group exhibitions. His public commissions include sculptures for the National Science Library (Ottawa, 1973), the Government of Canada building (Calgary, 1981), Athabasca University (Athabasca, 1984), and Innovation Place (Saskatoon, 1989). His sculptures are represented in many important collections, including Saskatchewan Arts Board (Regina), MacKenzie Art Gallery (Regina), Remai Modern (Saskatoon), Art Gallery of Alberta (Edmonton) and Winnipeg Art Gallery. Bentham had been a major contributor to the artistic communities of Saskatchewan and of Canada, participating in and co-leading Emma Lake Artists' Workshops and co-founding the Canadian Artists' Representation (now known as CARFAC). He was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1976, and received the Lynch-Staunton Award from the Canada Council in 1981.
For decades Doug lived and worked in his studio on an acreage near Dundurn, Saskatchewan, with his wife of more than sixty years Bonnie Bentham, who died in May of 2025. Doug Bentham died on July 20th, in Saskatoon, at the age of seventy-nine.
Pictured above is Four Seasons, 1981 metal sculpture by Doug Bentham
Pictured below is Forest 9, 1968 acrylic on canvas by Doug Bentham
