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Carle Hessay was born in 1911. He received his early training at the Dresden Art Academy which gave him an excellent grounding in the rigors of classical art training. Influenced by German Expressionism, his art highlights the emotional and symbolic aspects of his themes.
After a lifetime of adventures as a seaman, including participation in the Spanish Civil War and World War II, he led a relatively settled life in Langley, British Columbia, where he set up a sign shop to earn his "bread and butter." There he absorbed the artistic energies that characterized the 1960s and created the dynamically charged paintings.
Carle's prospecting trips to the mountain wilderness of this western province of Canada yielded spiritual restoration as well as pigments and subject matter for his art. He documented the remains of early pioneer settlements, deserted logging and mining operations, and natural landscapes with or without traces of habitation by man.
Carle also reached into classical and biblical subjects, turning them into visual parables with contemporary relevance.
He loved to play classical music, perform gymnastics, and play chess. His infectious sense of humor and his kindness endeared him to his many friends.
He passed away in1978.