Drew Klassen was born in Toronto in 1964, (mis)spent his youth in Winnipeg, and in 1968enrolled at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Following his studiesat NSCAD, he continued making art while supporting himself by varied means. While teachingEnglish in Japan, Klassen began to exhibit his work, and on his return to Canada in 1998 heestablished a consistent studio practice. From 2001-2007 he taught representational methodsand theory at the Dalhousie University School of Architecture and from 2006 to 2010 he taughtpainting at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. His work is held in numerous private andinstitutional collections in Canada and abroad. In 2010 he received one of five Established ArtistRecognition Awards presented annually by the government of Nova Scotia.