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Highway 2

Highway 2 is the work of Canadian soil scientist and artist Ken van Rees, who uses the soil he studies as a medium. This artwork depicts 29 horizontal lines in varying shades of brown created from soil pigments.

Born in Ontario and based in Saskatchewan, Dr. van Rees spent three decades researching and teaching about the relationships between soils and trees across different landscapes. He began to experiment with painting after incorporating art into his field courses in northern Saskatchewan.

Through his work, he hopes to present a different perspective of Canada’s natural environments that reflects — in his own words — “the colours, shapes and textures of our northern landscapes.”

Highway 2 was first installed in the Senate of Canada Building in 2024 as part of the Visual Voices program, a rotating exhibit of artworks with themes highlighting senators’ work.

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