Tennyson Samraj is a portrait artist, writer, philosophy professor and world traveler. He was born in India in 1951 and immigrated to Canada in 1990 to accept the position of professor at Burman University (then Canadian Union College) in Lacombe, Alberta. He has taught here for the past 30 years. Before finding a home in philosophy he studied in many fields including history and law. Before his long career in education he worked as an accountant and high school principal. 

Creative from a young age, he made his own toys and built radios from scratch. Oil painting was soon a passion. When he moved to Canada, he left behind the majority of his art in a family member's basement in India. Unfortunately, many of these pieces were damaged in a flood. 

Tennyson moved from India to Canada in January, 1990, the coldest month of the year. He had never seen snow before and didn't own a winter jacket. It's difficult to imagine a more drastic change of culture and climate, but he adapted quickly and grew to love the North. He currently lives in Lacombe, in central Alberta. The rural city of 13,000 ranked #5 of best places to live in Canada. He is active in his community and received the Honorary Alumni of the Year award in 2018 in recognition of his ongoing contributions to life at Burman University.  

He has a daughter, Preeti and son, Kris. He has a sister in the United States and two brothers in India.