Multi-disciplinary artist Roy Kenzie Kiyooka grew up in the prairies, studying under former Vancouver School of Art professor Jock Macdonald at the Provincial Insititute of Technology and Art in Calgary from 1946 to 1949. He was a regular participant at the Emma Lake artist's workshops throughout the 1950s. From 1960-1965 Kiyooka was appointed a teaching position at the Vancouver School of Art. During this time he developed his hard-edged minimal style and became a central figure in Vancouver's cultural scene during the 1960s. The Vancouver Art Gallery organized a retrospective of his work in 1975.

The Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (VSDAA) opened on October 1, 1925, marking the beginning of formalized art education in the city. Founded through the efforts of the British Columbia Society of Fine Arts, the school was a response to Vancouver’s rapid growth and the need for cultural institutions. Under its first director, Charles H. Scott, and with prominent faculty including Jock Macdonald and Fred Varley, the VSDAA quickly became a centre of artistic activity. A vibrant social and intellectual community grew around the school, supported by figures such as John Vanderpant and Harold Mortimer Lamb. In 1933 the school was renamed the Vancouver School of Art, and over the decades it continued to expand, eventually becoming Emily Carr University of Art + Design. In 2025 the institution celebrates its centenary, a testament to its enduring role in shaping the cultural landscape of Vancouver and beyond.

This work is originally one part of a four-panel piece by the artist, which was sold as separate works by the gallery.