Roy Onami


Region: Toronto Ontario
Generation:
Born 1935, Vancouver British Columbia

Bio

Roy Onami is a retired graphic designer and painter. Born in Vancouver, Onami, his mother, and siblings were forcibly removed from the coast in 1942 and sent to live in Sandon internment camp. Their family resettled in Montreal after the war, where Onami graduated from high school and got a job with Trans Canada Airlines as a traffic department clerk. Since he had written on his job application that he wanted to be an artist, Trans Canada eventually offered him a transfer to their art department in Pembroke, Ontario, where he learned about graphic design. He went on to work at a number of design studios, as a graphic designer and later as a production manager, discovering he had a special talent and enjoyment for organizing projects and running an art department. While working at design firms by day, Onami also painted watercolour portraits, receiving commissions via word of mouth. He is currently enjoying retirement in Toronto.


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