Christian Cardell Corbet
Encyclopedia
Christian Cardell Corbet (born 31 January 1966) is a Canadian sculptor, painter
and designer. He co-founded and was first President of the Canadian Portrait Academy
.
-Christian Cardell Corbet, 1997
, Ajax, Ontario
, he was raised by his paternal grandparents A. J. Corbet II and Alice Charlotte Corbet (née Gould), descendants of a prominent family from Guernsey
Channel Islands
and a theatrical family from London, England respectively. At a very young age, he developed a strong interest in the fine arts while working with his grandfather on commercial signs. Due to increasingly ill health, chronic asthma
, by the age of 14 he was not able to participate in regular sports like most children his age, so his grandparents along with his great uncle John Gould and great aunt Olive Gould strongly encouraged him to paint and sculpt. Being raised predominantly on the shores of Lake Ontario
he always held a close fascination with water, water and ice formations and its power which to this very day has become a main theme for his paintings.
As Corbet's artistic career was just commencing his closest aunt Olive Gould died suddenly in 1995. Following this he divorced his first wife in 1997. This was then followed in 1999 by the tragedy of the death of his mother whose body was found in a remote barren field near Orangeville, Ontario. The passing of his mother was regarded as a suspicious suicide.
In 1996, Corbet was instrumental in securing a portrait of the Queen Mother created by a British Columbian artist into the Queen Mother's private collection.
In 1996, Corbet also met and was mentored by sculptor Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook
, His works include portrait paintings and sculptures of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Isabel McLaughlin
and Doris McCarthy
In 1997, Corbet painted a portrait a portrait of Canadian composer Jean Coulthard
. In 1998, Corbet sculpted a portrait of Jane Addams
for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
and later in 1999 he was appointed a Patron Artist for The International Dyslexia Association were he sculpted a portrait of Samuel Orton
and Carl Kline
and Carolyn Kline. This sculpture titled: "The Dr. and Mrs. Carl L. Kline Award for Outstanding Service in the Field of Dyslexia" is an annual award.
In 1999, Corbet was again inducted into "Who's Who in Canada - 90th Anniversary Edition" in the "Rising Stars" section. By this point in his career Corbet was represented in the following collections: HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, UK; Glamis Castle
, Scotland; Abraham Brill Library, USA; Sigmund Freud Museum, UK; University of Guelph, Canada; City of North Vancouver, Canada; Seymour Art Gallery, Canada; Durham Board of Education, Canada; University of British Columbia
, Canada; Lions Gate Hospital, Canada; CBC. Corp (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
). Canada.
In 2006, Corbet's portrait of the Thomas Reuben Black
was acquired by the Library of Parliament
, Parliament of Canada
.
In 2008, Corbet was commissioned by the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy 25th Anniversary to create an authorized portrait of Sir Winston Churchill
. Two maquettes of this medallion were presented to Lady Mary Soames and Celia Sandys. He was also appointed to the Head Table at the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy 25th Anniversary Dinner seated with such notable people as former Prime Minister of Canada
Kim Campbell
; Henry N. R. Jackman
; Catherine Callbeck
; Martha Hall Findlay
among others. Corbet is pictured with his sculpture of Winston Churchill in a special limited edition publication with William Graham, Chancellor Trinity College. His portrait of Margaret Atwood
, created in 1998, was published on the front cover of Margaret Atwood and the Female Bildungsroman, written by Bath University professor Ellen McWilliams and published in 2009.
In 2009, Corbet sculpted and painted a portrait of Guernsey poet and painter Denys Corbet
. The painting of Denys Corbet was unveiled at the Forest Douzaine on 30 May 2009. In July 2009, Corbet had a solo exhibition at the Priaulx Library
where the Bailiff of Guernsey, Channel Islands, Sir Geoffrey Rowland
, unveiled a portrait of himself painted by Corbet.
In late 2009 Corbet created an authorized conte and pastel portrait of Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma
which was unveiled by the Countess in Warwickshire, England in October. The oil sketch is in the Canadian Portrait Academy Permanent Collection.
Margaret Atwood Idea Idea is a mixed media painting exhibited at the Canadian Portrait Academy, Hycroft Mansion, Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
to mixed reviews. Later it was deposited into the CPA Permanent Collection. The 24 inch x 48 inch acrylic on canvas abstract
portrait
includes several real Peruvian butterflies affixed to it. The portrait was donated by the Canadian Portrait Academy in 2003 to the University of British Columbia
.
In 2009, Ellen McWilliams of Bath Spa
University
used the portrait for the front cover of her book Margaret Atwood and the Female Bildungsroman
.
Between 2010 and 2011 Corbet created over 17 portrait sculptures of such noted subjects as Oscar Niemeyer
, Rise Stevens
, Michael Ignatieff
, Walter Allward, Sir Admiral Charles Kingsmill
, Hon. Jack Layton
, Aung San Suu Kyi
among others. In October 2011 Corbet was Guest of Honour of the Royal Canadian Navy where Corbet and Rear Admiral Norman unveiled a commissioned portrait bust of Chief Petty Officer Max Bernays at HMCS Bytown, Ottawa. Corbet currently is represented in over 80 selected museums and art galleries world wide.
and colleagues on the Sulman Mummy Project which was originally brought back from Egypt by George William Sulman
a merchant living in Chatham, Ontario
. Corbet was asked to sculpt the full forensic facial reconstruction of the 2,2000 mummy. The project was featured on several episodes of The Discovery Channel's, Daily Planet (TV series)
, and received worldwide attention. Corbet was lauded by the Rt. Hon. Ms. Helene Chalifour Scherrer, Minister of Canadian Heritage for his work with the Sulman Mummy. On 16 January 2004, the Chatham-Kent Museum unveiled the mummy.
The Sulman Mummy Project was a joint effort between the Chatham-Kent Museum, Department of Anthropology at the University of Western Ontario
, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Robarts Research Institute
, the National Research Council of Canada
, the Drafting Clinic Canada Ltd., and sculptor Christian Cardell Corbet.
As Artist in Residence at the University of Western Ontario Corbet was asked to create a comparative forensic facial reconstruction of a Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt
mummy belonging to the Royal Ontario Museum
.
In January 2011 Corbet's three dimensional facial reconstruction of an Irish born WWI soldier who died during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917 was identified as Pte. Thomas Lawless and announced by the Department of National Defence. Corbet was lauded for his work having received letters and special messages from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Kathy Dunderdale Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister of National Defence Hon. Peter MacKay, Amit Chakma, President & Vice-Chancellor of UWO among others. Corbet received a special invitation to attend the Full Military Burial in France. The forensic portrait sculpture of Pte. Thomas Lawless was unveiled at the Gallipoli Armoury, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador and hosted by the 2nd Newfoundland Regiment. A CT and Laser scan was performed on the forensic facial reconstruction of Corbet's portrait of Lawless at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in April 2011 undertaken by Dr. Gavin White and Hilda Stephen.
In October 2011 Brock University exhibited forensic facial reconstrcution drawings of Sir Isaac Brock by Corbet.
In 2011 Corbet also presented a lecture and demonstration on his role as a forensic artist at the Canadian War Museum for part of their War and Medicine Exhibition and Remembrance Week Programming.
In his family role Corbet is the patriarch. Corbet takes this position quite seriously as he acts on behalf of the Corbet family attending public functions and performing public duties. In 2009, Corbet was the first Canadian Judge at the Annual Bonny Baby Competition in the Vale Parish, Guernsey, Channel Islands. In 2007, Corbet donated a bronze medallion of Saint Michael (also known historically as S. Michel du Valle Church) to The Vale Church.
In 2009, he donated The Corbet Family Tree, a European Beech
tree (Fagus sylvatica), in memory of all Corbet's and descendants to come. to his ancestral church The Vale Church, Guernsey
, Channel Islands. On 13 July 2009, Lady Diana Rowland officially planted the tree.
In July 2009, Corbet buried his paternal grandparents ashes in the family plot in Guernsey, Channel Islands. The service was officiated by the Vice Dean of Guernsey.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and designer. He co-founded and was first President of the Canadian Portrait Academy
Canadian Portrait Academy
The Canadian Portrait Academy , is a professional Canadian art academy dedicated to the practice and appreciation of portraiture within Canada and abroad.-History:...
.
Quotes
"When one buys some of my artwork I hope it is because they will wish to learn from it and not because they think it will match their drapes!"-Christian Cardell Corbet, 1997
Personal life
Born on 31 January 1966, at Pickering BeachPickering Beach, Ontario
Pickering Beach is a community in Durham Region, Ontario Canada, located on Lake Ontario approximately 30 minutes from Toronto. It was once an important cottage destination for the upper class that was established by the prominent Toronto lawyer James Tuckett, in the 1920s...
, Ajax, Ontario
Ajax, Ontario
Ajax is a town in the Durham Region in the Greater Toronto Area.The town is named for the HMS Ajax a Royal Navy cruiser that served in World War II. Ajax is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and the...
, he was raised by his paternal grandparents A. J. Corbet II and Alice Charlotte Corbet (née Gould), descendants of a prominent family from Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
and a theatrical family from London, England respectively. At a very young age, he developed a strong interest in the fine arts while working with his grandfather on commercial signs. Due to increasingly ill health, chronic asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, by the age of 14 he was not able to participate in regular sports like most children his age, so his grandparents along with his great uncle John Gould and great aunt Olive Gould strongly encouraged him to paint and sculpt. Being raised predominantly on the shores of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
he always held a close fascination with water, water and ice formations and its power which to this very day has become a main theme for his paintings.
As Corbet's artistic career was just commencing his closest aunt Olive Gould died suddenly in 1995. Following this he divorced his first wife in 1997. This was then followed in 1999 by the tragedy of the death of his mother whose body was found in a remote barren field near Orangeville, Ontario. The passing of his mother was regarded as a suspicious suicide.
Early career
In 1995 Corbet painted a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother which was presented to the Queen Mother on July 4 1995 at Clarence House.In 1996, Corbet was instrumental in securing a portrait of the Queen Mother created by a British Columbian artist into the Queen Mother's private collection.
In 1996, Corbet also met and was mentored by sculptor Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook
Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook
Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook, CM, O.Ont was a Canadian portrait sculptor, medal designer and liturgical artist...
, His works include portrait paintings and sculptures of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Isabel McLaughlin
Isabel McLaughlin
Isabel Grace McLaughlin, CM, O.Ont, CGP, Hon. CPA was a Canadian visual artist, patron and philanthropist. She was an early Modernist Canadian painter specializing in landscapes and still life with a strong interest in design...
and Doris McCarthy
Doris McCarthy
Doris McCarthy, CM, O.Ont was a Canadian artist specializing in abstracted landscapes.Born in Calgary, Alberta, McCarthy attended the Ontario College of Art from , where she was awarded various scholarships and prizes...
In 1997, Corbet painted a portrait a portrait of Canadian composer Jean Coulthard
Jean Coulthard
Jean Coulthard, was a Canadian composer and music educator. She was part of a trio of women composers who dominated Western Canadian music in the twentieth century: Coulthard, Barbara Pentland, and Violet Archer. All three died within weeks of each other in 2000...
. In 1998, Corbet sculpted a portrait of Jane Addams
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was established in the United States in January 1915 as the Woman's Peace Party...
and later in 1999 he was appointed a Patron Artist for The International Dyslexia Association were he sculpted a portrait of Samuel Orton
Samuel Orton
Samuel Torrey Orton was an American physician who pioneered the study of learning disabilities. He is best known for his work examining the causes and treatment of reading disability, or dyslexia....
and Carl Kline
Carl Kline
Carl L. Kline was an American born Canadian psychiatrist and researcher.-Education and training:Kline was born in St. Paul, Minnestoa, USA and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1967 with his family. He studied at Northwestern Medical School, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Duke University...
and Carolyn Kline. This sculpture titled: "The Dr. and Mrs. Carl L. Kline Award for Outstanding Service in the Field of Dyslexia" is an annual award.
In 1999, Corbet was again inducted into "Who's Who in Canada - 90th Anniversary Edition" in the "Rising Stars" section. By this point in his career Corbet was represented in the following collections: HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, UK; Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public....
, Scotland; Abraham Brill Library, USA; Sigmund Freud Museum, UK; University of Guelph, Canada; City of North Vancouver, Canada; Seymour Art Gallery, Canada; Durham Board of Education, Canada; University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, Canada; Lions Gate Hospital, Canada; CBC. Corp (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
). Canada.
Portrait art
In 2000, Elizabeth Bradford Holbrook asked Corbet to create a sculpture based on an older 1979 liturgical drawing of hers. The sculpture titled "Glory Be Madonna and Child" was completed about two weeks before Bradford Holbrook died in March 2009. The bisque relief sculpture of was donated by Corbet to St. John's Anglican Church, Ancaster, Ontario.In 2006, Corbet's portrait of the Thomas Reuben Black
Thomas Reuben Black
The Hon. Thomas Reuben Black was a Canadian politician, senator and farmer from Amherst, Nova Scotia.Black was educated at Amherst Academy and purchased the family farm where he was an innovative and progressive manager. He also acquired real estate in his home town demonstrating his commitment to...
was acquired by the Library of Parliament
Library of Parliament
The Library of Parliament is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada...
, Parliament of Canada
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
.
In 2008, Corbet was commissioned by the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy 25th Anniversary to create an authorized portrait of Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. Two maquettes of this medallion were presented to Lady Mary Soames and Celia Sandys. He was also appointed to the Head Table at the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy 25th Anniversary Dinner seated with such notable people as former Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
; Henry N. R. Jackman
Henry N. R. Jackman
Henry Newton Rowell "Hal" Jackman, OC, O.Ont, CD , served as the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1991 to 1997....
; Catherine Callbeck
Catherine Callbeck
Catherine Sophia Callbeck is a Canadian politician and a current member of the Senate of Canada.She was the 28th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 1996, the second female provincial premier in Canadian history, and the first to win a general election Catherine Sophia Callbeck (born July...
; Martha Hall Findlay
Martha Hall Findlay
Martha Hall Findlay is a Canadian lawyer, businesswoman and politician. She was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal Party of Canada's candidate in the Toronto riding of Willowdale in a federal by-election held on March 17, 2008 to fill a vacancy created by former Liberal MP Jim...
among others. Corbet is pictured with his sculpture of Winston Churchill in a special limited edition publication with William Graham, Chancellor Trinity College. His portrait of Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and environmental activist. She is among the most-honoured authors of fiction in recent history; she is a winner of the Arthur C...
, created in 1998, was published on the front cover of Margaret Atwood and the Female Bildungsroman, written by Bath University professor Ellen McWilliams and published in 2009.
In 2009, Corbet sculpted and painted a portrait of Guernsey poet and painter Denys Corbet
Denys Corbet
Denys Corbet was a Channel Islands poet, Naïve painter, and school master. He was the second son of Pierre and Susanne who was born at La Turquie, Vale, Guernsey, Channel Island...
. The painting of Denys Corbet was unveiled at the Forest Douzaine on 30 May 2009. In July 2009, Corbet had a solo exhibition at the Priaulx Library
Priaulx Library
The Priaulx Library, located in St Peter Port, Guernsey, contains the island's principal collection of local and family history.-History:The library building, Candie House, and its initial collection of books were donated to the island by Osmond de Beauvoir Priaulx in 1889...
where the Bailiff of Guernsey, Channel Islands, Sir Geoffrey Rowland
Geoffrey Rowland
Sir Geoffrey Robert Rowland, QC, is the current Bailiff of Guernsey .-Life:Rowland was called to the English Bar at Gray's Inn in 1970 and admitted as an Advocate of the Royal Court, Guernsey, in 1971. He was in practice as an Advocate of the Royal Court in the firm of Collas, Day & Rowland 1971 -...
, unveiled a portrait of himself painted by Corbet.
In late 2009 Corbet created an authorized conte and pastel portrait of Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is a British peeress and former lady-in-waiting to her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and his wife, the heiress Edwina Ashley, a patrilineal...
which was unveiled by the Countess in Warwickshire, England in October. The oil sketch is in the Canadian Portrait Academy Permanent Collection.
Margaret Atwood Idea Idea is a mixed media painting exhibited at the Canadian Portrait Academy, Hycroft Mansion, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to mixed reviews. Later it was deposited into the CPA Permanent Collection. The 24 inch x 48 inch acrylic on canvas abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
includes several real Peruvian butterflies affixed to it. The portrait was donated by the Canadian Portrait Academy in 2003 to the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
.
In 2009, Ellen McWilliams of Bath Spa
Bath Spa University
Bath Spa University is a university based in, and around, Bath, England. The institution was previously known as Bath College of Higher Education, and later Bath Spa University College...
University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
used the portrait for the front cover of her book Margaret Atwood and the Female Bildungsroman
Bildungsroman
In literary criticism, bildungsroman or coming-of-age story is a literary genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood , and in which character change is thus extremely important...
.
Between 2010 and 2011 Corbet created over 17 portrait sculptures of such noted subjects as Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Niemeyer
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho is a Brazilian architect specializing in international modern architecture...
, Rise Stevens
Risë Stevens
Risë Stevens is a retired American operatic mezzo-soprano.-Professional life:Stevens studied at New York's Juilliard School for three years. She went to Vienna, where she was trained by Marie Gutheil-Schoder and Herbert Graf. She made her début as Mignon in Prague in 1936 and stayed there until...
, Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, Walter Allward, Sir Admiral Charles Kingsmill
Charles Kingsmill
Admiral Sir Charles Edmund Kingsmill was the first Director of the Royal Canadian Navy.Charles Edmund Kingsmill was born at Guelph, Ontario in 1855 and educated at Upper Canada College in Toronto. He was the son of John Juchereau Kingsmill, Crown Attorney for Wellington County and Ellen Diana...
, Hon. Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
among others. In October 2011 Corbet was Guest of Honour of the Royal Canadian Navy where Corbet and Rear Admiral Norman unveiled a commissioned portrait bust of Chief Petty Officer Max Bernays at HMCS Bytown, Ottawa. Corbet currently is represented in over 80 selected museums and art galleries world wide.
Forensic art
In 2003, Corbet commenced working with Andrew Nelson, Associate Professor at the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
and colleagues on the Sulman Mummy Project which was originally brought back from Egypt by George William Sulman
George William Sulman
George William Sulman was an Ontario merchant and political figure. He represented Kent West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1908 to 1919 as a Conservative member....
a merchant living in Chatham, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Corbet was asked to sculpt the full forensic facial reconstruction of the 2,2000 mummy. The project was featured on several episodes of The Discovery Channel's, Daily Planet (TV series)
Daily Planet (TV series)
Daily Planet is a television program on Discovery Channel Canada which features daily news, discussion and commentary on the scientific aspects of current events and discoveries. The show first aired as @discovery.ca in 1995. It was renamed to Daily Planet in 2002. The show relaunched with in high...
, and received worldwide attention. Corbet was lauded by the Rt. Hon. Ms. Helene Chalifour Scherrer, Minister of Canadian Heritage for his work with the Sulman Mummy. On 16 January 2004, the Chatham-Kent Museum unveiled the mummy.
The Sulman Mummy Project was a joint effort between the Chatham-Kent Museum, Department of Anthropology at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Robarts Research Institute
Robarts Research Institute
The Robarts Research Institute is in London, Ontario, Canada with a staff of more than 600 people. Robarts scientists include physicians and physicists, biologists and biomedical engineers, and the range of diseases they study include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and many...
, the National Research Council of Canada
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
, the Drafting Clinic Canada Ltd., and sculptor Christian Cardell Corbet.
As Artist in Residence at the University of Western Ontario Corbet was asked to create a comparative forensic facial reconstruction of a Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt
Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt
The Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, Twenty-Third, Twenty-Fourth, and Twenty-Fifth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Third Intermediate Period.-Rulers:...
mummy belonging to the Royal Ontario Museum
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With its main entrance facing Bloor Street in Downtown Toronto, the museum is situated north of Queen's Park and east of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto...
.
In January 2011 Corbet's three dimensional facial reconstruction of an Irish born WWI soldier who died during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917 was identified as Pte. Thomas Lawless and announced by the Department of National Defence. Corbet was lauded for his work having received letters and special messages from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Kathy Dunderdale Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister of National Defence Hon. Peter MacKay, Amit Chakma, President & Vice-Chancellor of UWO among others. Corbet received a special invitation to attend the Full Military Burial in France. The forensic portrait sculpture of Pte. Thomas Lawless was unveiled at the Gallipoli Armoury, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador and hosted by the 2nd Newfoundland Regiment. A CT and Laser scan was performed on the forensic facial reconstruction of Corbet's portrait of Lawless at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in April 2011 undertaken by Dr. Gavin White and Hilda Stephen.
In October 2011 Brock University exhibited forensic facial reconstrcution drawings of Sir Isaac Brock by Corbet.
In 2011 Corbet also presented a lecture and demonstration on his role as a forensic artist at the Canadian War Museum for part of their War and Medicine Exhibition and Remembrance Week Programming.
Public and family roles
Corbet is also regarded as a benefactor having made donations to institutions such as the Guernsey Museum and Art Gallery of Guernsey Pottery from part of his vast collection.In his family role Corbet is the patriarch. Corbet takes this position quite seriously as he acts on behalf of the Corbet family attending public functions and performing public duties. In 2009, Corbet was the first Canadian Judge at the Annual Bonny Baby Competition in the Vale Parish, Guernsey, Channel Islands. In 2007, Corbet donated a bronze medallion of Saint Michael (also known historically as S. Michel du Valle Church) to The Vale Church.
In 2009, he donated The Corbet Family Tree, a European Beech
European Beech
Fagus sylvatica, the European Beech or Common Beech, is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.-Natural range:...
tree (Fagus sylvatica), in memory of all Corbet's and descendants to come. to his ancestral church The Vale Church, Guernsey
The Vale Church, Guernsey
St. Michel du Valle is the parish church of Vale, Guernsey.-Early History of the Church:In January 1949 an Early Christian monument was unearthed outside the West door of the church. This stone dates from the 7th or 8th century. It is now situated outside the Baptistry, resting against the wall...
, Channel Islands. On 13 July 2009, Lady Diana Rowland officially planted the tree.
In July 2009, Corbet buried his paternal grandparents ashes in the family plot in Guernsey, Channel Islands. The service was officiated by the Vice Dean of Guernsey.