Santo Mignosa was born and raised in Sicily, Italy. He studied clay in several Italian institutions after working for his father creating commercial roof tiles and bricks. Arriving in Canada in the 1950s, Mignosa continued his studies, entered numerous national and international exhibitions and embarked upon a distinctive teaching career at the University of British Columbia, the Kootenay School of Art and the University of Calgary. He was an active participant in national and provincial ceramic organizations and regularly presented workshops for ceramic groups and local schools. In his mid-eighties, Mignosa continues his sculptural and drawing practice at Art in the Country in Aldergrove, BC. Here he shares his life with Susan Gorris, a painter and sculptor. Santo’s ceramic art was recently featured in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s exhibition Modern in the Making: Post-War Craft and Design in British Columbia (July 18, 2020 – January 3, 2021).

“Santo Mignosa's long artistic journey from his family's clay tile business in a small Sicilian town to his masterful sculptures and ceramics in Canada is inspiring and entertaining. It is both a family saga and an extraordinary memoir of his creative process and his talent as both an artist and educator.” — Michael Kluckner, Canadian writer and artist