Joel Matthew Warkentin is a sculptor, photographer, and performance artist. His work focuses primarily around the connection of the spirit, movement, space, and how they interact with the human experience.
His drive and ambition, from an early age, have grown with him into his adulthood and career. He acquired a BFA, with distinction, from the Alberta University of the Arts. During his time there, he directed the IVAN Gallery, assisted the Illingworth Kerr Gallery in the creation of Rodney Latourelle's "Stepped Form”, and studied performance under Rebecca Belmore. Warkentin acquired an MFA from the University of Calgary, he was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Research Award in 2018 to continue his research into religious symbolisms including the Halo, which was presented at the University of Art Association of Canada conference in 2018, and has continued researching other symbols, and their importance relevant to understanding a universal spiritual experience.
His artwork have traveled across Canada and internationally, into galleries and exhibitions. They have transcended into various mediums, and he is currently exploring the spirituality of his work in still life.