Vivian Claman was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1956. After earning a degree in Fashion Design from the Bassist Institute in Portland, Oregon, she built a successful custom apparel studio in Vancouver, becoming well known for her exquisite wedding gowns and evening attire. A founding member of the West Coast Designers Group, she later returned to Montreal, where she worked as an in-house designer for Joseph Ribkoff and Louben Sportswear, before coming back to Vancouver to design for Davina, a division of Mr. Jax.

After stepping away from her career to raise three children and care for her aging parents — both accomplished fashion designers themselves — Vivian discovered oil painting, and found in it a new language for everything she had always loved: precision, beauty, and the discipline of craft. What began as a creative outlet quickly became a full-time passion.

“I’m drawn to the clean lines and geometric forms of stones and still life, and to the skill and patience required to render them photo-realistically. But I’m equally drawn to abstract painting and the freedom it gives me to express myself artistically. My greatest joy is in commissioned pet portraits — capturing not just a likeness, but a personality, a spirit. Every commission is an opportunity to push myself further as an artist.”
Vivian has received commissions for pet portraits and a wide range of original works. Her paintings have been featured in group exhibitions at the Sydney and Gertrude Art Gallery, and are currently displayed in Vancouver restaurants and a local therapy centre.