Canadian Art Junkie

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What is hidden on the back of this 15th century painting by master artist Albrecht Dürer?

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2026/02/03/painting-the-apocalypse-in-1496/

71/150: Ranbir Sidhu – Futuristic sculpture in metal & gold The futuristic vision of this celebrated Toronto artist is on exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario in a dramatic display of cutting-edge engineering. The exhibition features monumental sculptures and incorporates sound and light. Installation view, No Limits, Ranbir Sidhu, Art Gallery of Ontario Ranbir Sidhu is already a favourite of celebrities like Drake and Jay-Z , who commission works from…

71/150: Ranbir Sidhu – Futuristic sculpture in metal & gold

The futuristic vision of this celebrated Toronto artist is on exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario in a dramatic display of cutting-edge engineering. The exhibition features monumental sculptures and incorporates sound and light.…

Field Notes Exhibition in Victoria BC Artists Shawn O’Keefe and Collin Elder showcase their individual styles and unique voices when depicting the Canadian landscape in this collection of new paintings on exhibition in Victoria, B.C. Above, Collin Elder, Songhees Bluff, Oil on Linen, 24 × 36" / Below: Collin Elder, Hupacasath Creek, Oil on Linen, 36 x 48"

Field Notes Exhibition in Victoria BC

Artists Shawn O’Keefe and Collin Elder showcase their individual styles and unique voices when depicting the Canadian landscape in this collection of new paintings on exhibition in Victoria, B.C. Above, Collin Elder, Songhees Bluff, Oil on Linen, 24 × 36" /…

Florent Stosskopf: Joie de Vivre Florent Stosskopf is a self-taught painter based in Brittany, France, who takes a contemporary perspective on traditional and historical art themes. Madonna, 2025, Oil, acrylic and ink on canvas, 55 ⅛ x 47 ¼ inches, 140 x 120 cm Through the use of bright colours and razor-sharp line-work, his complex scenes borrow from Classical Antiquity, the Baroque movement, and Modernism as well as his own repertoire, says Duran Contemporain in Montreal, where he is on exhibition.

Florent Stosskopf: Joie de Vivre

Florent Stosskopf is a self-taught painter based in Brittany, France, who takes a contemporary perspective on traditional and historical art themes. Madonna, 2025, Oil, acrylic and ink on canvas, 55 ⅛ x 47 ¼ inches, 140 x 120 cm Through the use of bright colours…

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These Ceramic Sculptures are Beautiful, Chaotic and Wild

Jody Greenman-Barber's works push the boundaries of ceramic materials and forms, offering new ways of thinking about contemporary ceramics.…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2026/01/24/these-ceramic-sculptures-are-beautiful-chaotic-and-wild/

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Jennifer Murphy – Grains of Sand

Toronto artist Jennifer Murphy works in collage, assemblage, and sculpture using upcycled and reclaimed materials. These works are from her exhibition, Grains of Sand, at Clint Roenisch…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2026/01/22/jennifer-murphy-grains-of-sand/

Canada-Mexico Mural: Fit for the times Mexican street artist Diego Santamaría (HIDROCK) created this mural to celebrate the creative spirit of Mexico and Canada, an especially appropriate representation at a time when both countries are tightening ties to reduce reliance on the United States. But there was no particular politics intended. The mural is part of Culturans, a Mexico City–based NGO using art to reimagine cities as vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable spaces.

Canada-Mexico Mural: Fit for the times

Mexican street artist Diego Santamaría (HIDROCK) created this mural to celebrate the creative spirit of Mexico and Canada, an especially appropriate representation at a time when both countries are tightening ties to reduce reliance on the United States. But…

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Paper Sculptures at Seden’s Workshop

Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist Seden Lai specializes in using paper as a primary medium for her sculptural and functional works. At her design studio, Seden's Workshop, her…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2026/01/17/paper-sculptures-at-sedens-workshop/

Fun Friday – Sole Mates Since we're slammed by winter in a country surrounded by rising international tension, it's time for a bit of fun. These socks from Kingston-area artist Lisa Leskien radiate joy, warmth and patriotism. Red and White on the Right and Left, 16 x 16 oil on canvas (source) Leskien creates stylized, representational paintings and lino & woodcut prints of scenes and objects from her life that use bold mark-making, thick "juicy" paint and a highly exaggerated use of colour, her artist statement says.

Fun Friday – Sole Mates

Since we're slammed by winter in a country surrounded by rising international tension, it's time for a bit of fun. These socks from Kingston-area artist Lisa Leskien radiate joy, warmth and patriotism. Red and White on the Right and Left, 16 x 16 oil on canvas (source)…

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Robin Fox’s cinematic style

Hamilton area photographer Robin Claire Fox is definitely a talent to watch, if you're not already following her. It doesn't matter whether you're examining her B&W or Colour works, she has an…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2026/01/15/robin-foxs-cinematic-style/

Gretchen Jeens is Shifting Her Approach Gretchen Jeen's Small Talk is upcoming in Shift, a Women’s Art Association of Canada exhibition exploring change, transformation, and the possibilities that accompany new beginnings. (Above: Small Talk, oil on canvas, 36” x 40”). Jeens work has always focused mainly on the single figure (above from the series 12 Dresses). But now, she is shifting her paintings and drawings to include multiple figures, "with the hope of creating more depth and meaning to my artwork," Jeens says in an artist statement for the…

Gretchen Jeens is Shifting Her Approach

Gretchen Jeen's Small Talk is upcoming in Shift, a Women’s Art Association of Canada exhibition exploring change, transformation, and the possibilities that accompany new beginnings. (Above: Small Talk, oil on canvas, 36” x 40”). Jeens work has always…

Ceramic and Oil: Stephanie Temma Hier’s Unique Art Fusion Canadian artist Stephanie Temma Hier fuses ceramic sculpture and oil painting to create works that have seized international attention from Taipei to New York. Blue Morning Glory, Oil on linen with glazed stoneware sculpture, 23 x 23 x 3 inches via Instagram here A Toronto native now based in New York City, Hier has presented solo exhibitions in Shanghai, Paris, Brussels, Glasgow, New York, Turin and Montreal.

Ceramic and Oil: Stephanie Temma Hier’s Unique Art Fusion

Canadian artist Stephanie Temma Hier fuses ceramic sculpture and oil painting to create works that have seized international attention from Taipei to New York. Blue Morning Glory, Oil on linen with glazed stoneware sculpture, 23 x 23 x 3…

70/150: Edward Mitchell Bannister on exhibition in Hidden Blackness HALIFAX - This is the first exhibition of Edward Mitchell Bannister’s work presented in Canada — 124 years after the artist’s death. Born in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Bannister was an accomplished, 19th Century African Canadian painter known for pastoral landscapes. (Above: Approaching Storm, 1886, oil on canvas, 40 1⁄8 x 60 in.)

70/150: Edward Mitchell Bannister on exhibition in Hidden Blackness

HALIFAX - This is the first exhibition of Edward Mitchell Bannister’s work presented in Canada — 124 years after the artist’s death. Born in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Bannister was an accomplished, 19th Century African…

The Classic Recipe of Lost Identity: Margarita Fainshtein An exhibition of works by Margarita Fainshtein features reproductions (in various forms) of identification documents collected from her multi-generational family from around the world. The Fabric Maze, 2017-2020, screen printing and heat press on translucent fabrics, variable dimensions, more here Fainshtein reproduces then sorts the documents into groups, layering them using printmaking and etching techniques. The result is relief prints that combine to build a new unified identity.

The Classic Recipe of Lost Identity: Margarita Fainshtein

An exhibition of works by Margarita Fainshtein features reproductions (in various forms) of identification documents collected from her multi-generational family from around the world. The Fabric Maze, 2017-2020, screen printing and heat…

Martha Sturdy’s sculptures meld strength & serenity The works of British Columbia artist Martha Sturdy encompass walls, resin, brass, steel, reclaimed wood, and wearable sculptures. All her work reflects her focus on a harmonious balance with the environment. Above: ´Balanced Unbalanced’ Sculptures in Aluminum and in Powder Coated Aluminum" more here. Brass Landscape 23511, Brass, 31 x 21 x 18 inches via Caldwell Snyder, here

Martha Sturdy’s sculptures meld strength & serenity

The works of British Columbia artist Martha Sturdy encompass walls, resin, brass, steel, reclaimed wood, and wearable sculptures. All her work reflects her focus on a harmonious balance with the environment. Above: ´Balanced Unbalanced’…

Alex Colville: ‘Labours of the Months for a New Year’ The New Year is a perfect time to survey this celebrated series by Canadian artist Alex Colville. Colville's "Book of Hours: Labours of the Months for a New Year" is a group of 12 small paintings depicting significant personal moments from his year just ended. The images often focus on quiet, ordered work like pruning an apple tree in January. The paintings were done in 1974 and then released as a print portfolio in 1979.

Alex Colville: ‘Labours of the Months for a New Year’

The New Year is a perfect time to survey this celebrated series by Canadian artist Alex Colville. Colville's "Book of Hours: Labours of the Months for a New Year" is a group of 12 small paintings depicting significant personal moments from his…

Chloe Chlumecky, an artist to watch All over Canada right now, a few days after Christmas and a couple before New Year's, people are settling into comfortable places (like this room) for a brief respite from the cold, dark, busy winter. (Above: 6:01 p.m., Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in.) Foggy Morning in Orquevaux, 2024, 60 x 84 Chloe Chlumecky, the gifted figurative artist behind these works, gets the point.

Chloe Chlumecky, an artist to watch

All over Canada right now, a few days after Christmas and a couple before New Year's, people are settling into comfortable places (like this room) for a brief respite from the cold, dark, busy winter. (Above: 6:01 p.m., Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in.) Foggy Morning…

British Columbia’s Sculpture Walk Castelgar B.C. describes itself as the sculpture capital of Canada, with the community's annual Sculpture Walk a growing tourist attraction. Take a stroll through some of the creative public entries. Untamed, by Lisa Huth, Castlegar, B.C. is forged and fabricated from new and recycled steel. Inspired by the wild horses that roam North America (see more here) Viewers are encouraged to vote for their favourite sculpture via ballot, and the winner of The People’s Choice Award is purchased for permanent display in the City.

British Columbia’s Sculpture Walk

Castelgar B.C. describes itself as the sculpture capital of Canada, with the community's annual Sculpture Walk a growing tourist attraction. Take a stroll through some of the creative public entries. Untamed, by Lisa Huth, Castlegar, B.C. is forged and fabricated…

William Kurelek’s Northern Nativity Revered Canadian artist William Kurelek created a moving book based on the dreams of a boy who imagines that the Nativity takes place in our North. Watch this beautiful video of some of the images from the book. The Family's Travels are in the Snow In the dream, the Christ child is born to Inuit and First Nations people and to African-Canadians.

William Kurelek’s Northern Nativity

Revered Canadian artist William Kurelek created a moving book based on the dreams of a boy who imagines that the Nativity takes place in our North. Watch this beautiful video of some of the images from the book. The Family's Travels are in the Snow In the dream,…

A Child’s Christmas in Wales – Dylan Thomas This rich, touching story is part of many family Christmas traditions (including my own). Here it is read by the author, Dylan Thomas. The story is the Christmas memories of a man who is recalling scenes from his childhood for a young boy - a boy who asks wonderful, intermittent questions throughout the story. Here are a few of illustrator Fritz Eichenberg's woodcuts from an edition published in 1969 (with excerpts).

A Child’s Christmas in Wales – Dylan Thomas

This rich, touching story is part of many family Christmas traditions (including my own). Here it is read by the author, Dylan Thomas. The story is the Christmas memories of a man who is recalling scenes from his childhood for a young boy - a boy who…

Adrien Hébert’s Christmas Windows Painter Adrien Hébert (1890-1967) was renowned for his modernist style and unique vision, capturing the distinctive energy of urban spaces. His compositions celebrated the bustling atmosphere of Montreal amid the rapid modernization of the Twentieth Century. "His circa 1936 – 1937 canvas Christmas at Morgan’s (above) is an exceptional example of Hébert’s dedication to capturing the essence of the modern city.

Adrien Hébert’s Christmas Windows

Painter Adrien Hébert (1890-1967) was renowned for his modernist style and unique vision, capturing the distinctive energy of urban spaces. His compositions celebrated the bustling atmosphere of Montreal amid the rapid modernization of the Twentieth Century. "His…

The Art of Snow Sculpting You may be tempted to dismiss sculpting in the snow as something kids do in the backyard. In fact, Snow Sculpting is widely considered a legitimate art. From the World Snow Celebration in Stillwater, Minnesota The Minneapolis Institute of Art, for example, has scheduled a panel discussion for January, 2026 with master snow carvers from Denmark, Mexico, and Turkey who will be in Minnesota along with other global teams for the prestigious annual World Snow Sculpting Championship .

The Art of Snow Sculpting

You may be tempted to dismiss sculpting in the snow as something kids do in the backyard. In fact, Snow Sculpting is widely considered a legitimate art. From the World Snow Celebration in Stillwater, Minnesota The Minneapolis Institute of Art, for example, has scheduled a…

Chandler O’Leary’s Christmas Illustrations This illustrated history of a Christmas tree is a great example of the late Chandler O'Leary's style. The illustrator and author was well known for her Drawn the Road Again blog and her astute observations. From Drawn the Road Again, click here for larger view This one is called Tinsel Tunes Topsy Turvy Tannenbaum O'Leary drew the next one (titled Star Light Star Bright) to celebrate the Christmas star on top of the former Macy's building in Seattle, a 160-foot beacon with over 3,000 bulbs.

Chandler O’Leary’s Christmas Illustrations

This illustrated history of a Christmas tree is a great example of the late Chandler O'Leary's style. The illustrator and author was well known for her Drawn the Road Again blog and her astute observations. From Drawn the Road Again, click here for larger…

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year There's no question Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas of Germany is poised for continuing accolades as a nature photographer. He's the Grand Wnner in the 15 to 17 year category of the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year with his entry Life under Dead Wood. Editor and Chair of the Jury Kathy Moran says: “Macro is challenging when you’re trying to capture one species much less two.

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year

There's no question Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas of Germany is poised for continuing accolades as a nature photographer. He's the Grand Wnner in the 15 to 17 year category of the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year with his entry Life under Dead Wood. Editor…

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Nathalie Parenteau: “A Little Bit North of Bethlehem”

Yukon artist Nathalie Parenteau pulls from the artistic tradition of her French-Canadian origins and from Indigenous culture in her popular paintings…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2025/12/16/nathalie-parenteau-a-little-bit-north-of-bethlehem/

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The Art of Skating

It would be difficult to find a Canadian adult who hasn't at least tried skating, let alone played hockey, done figure skating or put on blades to glide through a forest on a groomed skating trail. Skating Carnival,…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2025/12/15/the-art-of-skating/

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Exploring Khan Lee’s Innovative Art Installations

Khan Lee is a conceptually driven artist working at the intersection of science, culture, and art. Blue, 2017, Shirts, string, sealer, inflatable fan,…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2025/12/13/exploring-khan-lees-innovative-art-installations/

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William Kurelek’s Celebrated Winter Scenes

Canadian artist William Kurelek's winter scenes are revered and (mostly) realistic representations of winters in this country. Above: After the Blizzard in Manitoba,…

https://canadianartjunkie.com/2025/12/11/william-kureleks-celebrated-winter-scenes/

José Luis Ceña’s Masks & Memory José Luis Ceña, on exhibition this fall in Toronto, is a prominent Spanish artist whose work explores memory, experience, and the passage of time. Above: I Always Wanted to be a Leopard, 2025, Oil on linen, 24 x 24 “/ 60 x 60 cm The Little Esopo, 2025, Oil on linen, 39 x 39" /100 x 100 cm Ceña’s works also explore the theme of masks and concealment, reflecting how individuals adopt external personas that often diverge from their true selves. 

José Luis Ceña’s Masks & Memory

José Luis Ceña, on exhibition this fall in Toronto, is a prominent Spanish artist whose work explores memory, experience, and the passage of time. Above: I Always Wanted to be a Leopard, 2025, Oil on linen, 24 x 24 “/ 60 x 60 cm The Little Esopo, 2025, Oil on linen,…