Detlef Gotzens DEGO

Born in 1952 in Cologne Germany, Detlef showed from an early age on that he was inclined towards an artistic career in Life.

At the age of fifteen he became an apprentice in the stained glass studio of Jacob Melchior in Cologne where he completed his three year apprenticeship. During that time he was exposed to some of the best known Artist in Germany and abroad, executing their projects which only confirmed his desire to pursue art for the rest of his Life.

After receiving his Journeyman certificate and working in the field for five years Detlef continued to complete his education with Master’s degree from the guild of Cologne and at the same time studied glass technology and design for two full years at the famous Glass College in Rheinbach close to the former German Capital Bonn. He graduated with a Masters degree in 1977.

During all this time Detlef never stopped and continued to paint and draw besides designing glass, after his graduation he participated in various group exhibitions’ as well as solo shows between Cologne and Duesseldorf. He also spends a lot of time traveling throughout Europe absorbing art and architecture from the various cultures, until in1985 after a first visit to Relatives in 1982 he decided to immigrate to Canada.

He and his wife settled in Montreal and immediately started to work for a local studio, but after just 5 month opened their own atelier. One of his first commissions was to restore a window at the St. Josephs Oratorio that was partially destroyed after a fire. In the following Years Detlef by then started to sign his original art work “Dego” and continuing to work on many high profile restoration projects from Montreal to Ottawa for example Christ Church Cathedral, St. James the Apostle, St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal and the Peace tower windows at the Parliament Building in Ottawa, Notre Dame Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Basilica and St. Anthony’s Church, all located in Ottawa. At the same time he worked on numerous private and commercial art glass commissions in many different techniques that contributed to his reputation as a versatile and innovative artist. Many articles in various Papers and other publications have been written over the years and continue to date.

In 2004 he won an art competition to design 5 large windows for the Cultural Center in Huntingdon Quebec and these windows where published in the American Glass Art Magazine in 2007, and one of them with the Title „Imagine“ was also exposed on John Lennon‘s and Yoko Ono‘ web site „Imagine Peace“.

His expertise and technical skill was called upon again in 2007 when he created a glass façade in New York City (Central Park) for one of the best known Architectural firms/designer Ali Tayar that was also published in the New York Times.

Exhibitions and Fairs

2022
Meldungen in der ART, Soloausstellung, galerie luzia sassen, Hennef-Stein, Germany (E)

2021
Winterausstellung, galerie luzia sassen, Hennef-Stein, Germany (G)
art KARLSRUHE selections online und 3D Galerie galerie luzia sassen (M)
DENKRAUM Siegburg (G)

2020 offen oder/und geschlossen?, galerie luzia sassen, Kelterhaus zu Blankenberg, Hennef, Germany

2020 art KARLSRUHE mit galerie luzia sassen, ART FAIR, Germany

2019 The Massacre of the Innocents, 5. July 2019, at Alpha Art Gallery Ottawa
2019 DENKRAUM Siegburg, Germany, Curated by galerie luzia sassen, Cologne, Germany, solo show “Rational spaces”
2018 Alfred-Langevin Hall, Cultural Center, Huntingdon Quebec, “The Massacre of the Innocents”, solo show
2018 ALPHA Art Gallery Ottawa, group show
2017 ALPHA Art Gallery Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, solo show “Transmutations”
2016 ALPHA Art Gallery Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, group show
2015 Exhibition Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Centenary, organized by the Minister of Culture of in Beirut Lebanon, inaugurated by the Minister of Culture.
2015 Galerie EK Voland, solos show, “Tremors”
2015 Galerie EK Voland Montreal, group show, “Warmth”
2014 ARTA Gallery Toronto, Residence Artists, group show
2014 ARTA Gallery Toronto, group show “Summer Heat”
2012 SOFA Chicago Art & Design, Glass Sculpures
2012 Galerie Elena Lee, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, “Wings”, group show
2012 Art Expo Toronto, Gallery Gordon Harrison, Ottawa
2012 Gallery Marzia Frozen, Berlin, Germany, group show, “Apocalypse now”
2012 Instructor teacher Exhibition Ottawa School of Art, Orleans Campus
2011 Galerie Elena Lee Montreal, solo show, Glass sculpture and Paintings
2011 SOFA Chicago Art & Design, Glass Sculptures
2011 Amsterdam Whitney Gallery Chelsea new York City, group show
2010 SOFA Chicago Art & Design, Glass Sculptures
2010 Galerie Elena Lee Montreal, Glass Sculpture
2006-2009 Gallery for Her Byward Market Ottawa, constant exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture
2005 September, solos show at the Alfred Langevin Hall, at the Huntingdon Quebec Cultural Center
1992 Museum of fine Arts Montreal, sales Gallery, showcasing local Artists that work in the Surrealist style during the Rene Magritte show at the Museum
1990 Galerie Des Lisle, Montreal, group show
1987 Gallery Port Maurice, Quebec, solo show, Glass and Paintings
1986 City of Dorval, Dorval Cultural Center, solo show, Glass and Paintings
1984 – 85 EP Gallery Duesseldorf, group show, with Antonio Maro
1984 Gallery Van Remmen, Solingen, Germany, solo show
1981 Siemens Head office, Cologne, solo show
1981 Goodyear Head Office Cologne, solo show