First Edition: A Few Canadian Artworks

October Newsletter

This past weekend, I revisited Art Toronto, one of Canada’s biggest art fairs, and it felt full circle in many ways. It was the last fair I attended before my little one arrived, and the first since. It was great to see so many great works and reconnect with familiar faces.

🌊 Deep Dive: Today’s Canadian Art

Canada, as a whole, takes great pride in its art history, especially the rich legacy of the Group of Seven painters. They are celebrated for their influence on the nation’s artistic landscape and cherished by major collectors like Steve Martin. However, I believe, Canadian art is far more dynamic than just a collection of incredible landscape painters from the 1920s and ’30s; it has so much more to offer. I’m (unsurprisingly) especially excited about what today’s artists working in Canada are creating—innovative approaches to timeless landscape subjects and bold new themes that truly reflect the vibrancy of contemporary Canadian art. Scroll on for a quick roundup of my top picks from the recent Toronto-based art fair.

Wanda Koop @ Division

Wanda Koop's paintings blend abstract forms and vibrant colors to explore contemporary themes, often inspired by media representations of global conflicts and cultural narratives, inviting viewers to critically engage with the emotional and societal implications of her work.

Fatine-Violette Sabiri @ Galerie Eli Kerr

Fatine-Violette Sabiri’s photography and traditional craft work delve into autobiographical narratives and examine themes of community, intimacy, and cultural shifts resulting from migration.

Sophia Lapres @ Towards Gallery

Sophia Lapres’ paintings delve into the complexities of human desire, media influence, and personal narratives. Employing a series-based approach, she combines abstract forms with vivid colors, inviting viewers to critically examine the emotional and societal layers embedded in her work.

Charlotte Evans @ L.L. Contemporary (and available on Peggy!)

Charlotte Evans’ artwork combines landscape painting and illustration to craft immersive, surreal worlds that evoke familiarity and strangeness while exploring themes of memory, myth, identity, inheritance, and belonging.

Margaux Williamson @ Bradley Ertaskiran

Margaux Williamson's paintings blend vibrant colors and playful, abstract forms with a sense of intimacy and personal narrative, often exploring themes of identity and the complexity of human experience.

👋 Parting Words…

Excited to hear what you think about the above — any Canadian artist you’ve been loving lately? Don’t hesitate to share.

Until next time…

XX, B