Nicole Katsuras — Biography & CV

Biography

Nicole Katsuras: Pioneering Abstract Expressionism with a Modern Twist

Toronto-based artist Nicole Katsuras has made a name for herself as one of the leading figures in modern expressive abstraction. With a Master of Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in London, UK, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Katsuras brings a unique blend of technical skill and conceptual depth to her work. Her paintings, described as both intricate and innovative, are held in numerous prestigious corporate collections, including those of McCarthy Tetrault, Encana, and RBC Capital Investments. Katsuras has also been tapped to design luxury silk and wool rugs for Stark Carpet in New York City, showcasing her versatility and talent across different mediums.

Currently, Nicole is working on three solo exhibitions in Vancouver, Arkansas, and Toronto. Her career is marked by a constant evolution of style, marked by deep experimentation with composition, color, and texture. As her work continues to grow in popularity, she is increasingly recognized as a pioneer in the use of oil paint and unconventional tools to create a style that bridges abstraction and materiality.

The Evolving Process of an Artist

For Nicole Katsuras, painting is a lifelong journey. "My work is always evolving—over the years I can see shifts in my color palette, the fields of color, composition, and texture," she reflects. The artist’s approach involves building as much as painting, layering oil paint onto the canvas with unique mark-making tools to create rich textures. Some areas of her canvases feature layers of extrusions piled up to an inch high, creating a tactile, almost sculptural presence. This meticulous process has earned her international recognition, including an invitation to exhibit in Material Matters at The Courtauld Institute of Art in 2012-2013. The show celebrated artists using pioneering media or reinterpreting traditional forms of representation, a perfect fit for Katsuras' innovative approach.

Katsuras describes her process as an ongoing exploration of color, form, and space. In her recent work, she has been particularly inspired by the Japanese art form Ukiyo-e, which translates to “pictures of the floating world.” The concept resonates deeply with her, as her paintings often evoke dreamlike, floating worlds heavily influenced by maps and topography. Her connection to nature and cartography is something that has shaped her work since childhood, drawing inspiration from early memories of flipping through National Geographic magazines and discovering fold-out maps of far-off lands.

“Right now, I am really interested in Ukiyo-e. They were masters of color and composition, and I’m always creating dreamlike floating worlds and islands influenced by maps and topography,” she explains. This fascination with nature, geography, and color is evident in the lyrical abstractions that dominate her portfolio today.

A Bold and Ever-Changing Palette

Katsuras’ work is renowned for its rich color compositions, and her palette is continuously evolving. "Right now, I would say it’s bright and light. I always gravitate towards blues—they have so many personal associations for me and are such a universal color for landscapes no matter where you are in the world," she says. This attention to color allows her paintings to evoke personal emotions and memories in viewers, making her work universally relatable.

Her most recent body of work features bold compositional choices and chromatic ideas that continue to evolve from earlier explorations. Katsuras' paintings blur the line between still-life and portraiture, creating figure-ground relationships that invite the viewer to see both objects in space and ethereal worlds open to personal interpretation.

The Influence of Toronto on Her Art

Living and working in Toronto, Nicole Katsuras draws endless inspiration from the vibrant, dynamic city that surrounds her. “Toronto is such a great dynamic city, on the edge of one of the Great Lakes—Lake Ontario. It’s one of my favorite places to be in the summer,” she shares. The hustle and bustle of the urban environment, combined with the serenity of nearby parks and waterfronts, fuel her creative energy.

Katsuras’ work is also deeply influenced by her connection to nature, particularly water. "My relationship to nature and water is ever-present in my paintings," she says. The fluidity and motion of water, combined with the structured yet chaotic energy of urban life, inspire the compositions that dominate her canvases. Whether it’s the urban grid, the city at night, or the vastness of the lake, Katsuras manages to blend these elements into her abstract landscapes in a way that speaks to the universal experience of place.

Balancing Life and Art

Despite her intense dedication to her craft, Nicole Katsuras maintains a balanced life. Her perfect day? A blend of relaxation and creativity. "One perfect day would be relaxing in the sun by a body of water with my kids—whether it be a pool, lake, ocean, or river. Flipping through a mountain of interior design and art magazines, maybe gardening, and later going off to the studio to paint," she muses. It’s this balance of personal joy and professional fulfillment that fuels her ongoing journey as an artist.

Katsuras is also deeply grateful for the support she receives from her family, collectors, and the creatives who help her in the studio. "Painting has brought me personal growth, joy, and satisfaction. To do something that you love makes it all the more special," she says.

The Future of Nicole Katsuras

As Nicole Katsuras looks ahead to 2024 and beyond, her work continues to evolve in exciting new directions. With upcoming solo exhibitions in multiple cities and a growing list of collectors, her art is poised to reach even wider audiences. Whether through her luminous color palettes, her fascination with maps and topography, or her bold compositions, Katsuras’ paintings invite viewers into a world where abstraction meets reality, and where every brushstroke tells a story.

“Painting is filled with so many highlights about my personal life and the world around me,” she shares. And it’s through this deep connection to both her personal experiences and the broader world that Nicole Katsuras continues to shape the future of modern abstraction, one breathtaking painting at a time.

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

Master of Fine Art/ Central Saint Martins School of Art & Design/ London, United Kingdom

Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree/ University of Toronto/ Toronto, Canada

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Mary Coyne Rowell Jackman Post Graduate Award

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Luciano Benetton

Canaccord Wealth Management

Carlton University

The Donovan Collection

Encana

Equitable Trust

Fairbourne

Holt Renfrew

The Keg

McCarthy Tetrault

Mirvish Collection

RBC Capital Investments

Section Eight/Itch Productions

WALKER WEST LONGO

Private collections from Vancouver to Toronto and from New York to ISTANBUL

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

2020 Process and image (SOLO)/ march 7 - 21 / Bau-Xi Gallery/ Toronto

2020 Art Auction/ Art Gems/ Aril 21/ Toronto

2020 Gilda’s GNOME GARDEN / CANADA BLOOMS / March 13-22

2020 Contemporary Art Auction/ April 25 - 30, 2020 / Waddington’s / Toronto

2021 New York (solo) TBA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS / ART FAIRS

2020 Modern Masters-Private collection/ 13th Street Winery/Niagara, Ontario

2019 Art Toronto/ Art Fair/ BAU-XI Gallery/ Toronto

2019 Method II/ Bau-Xi Gallery/ Toronto

2019 IN ASCEND/ Curated by Rafi Ghanaghounian/ Samara Contemporary/ Toronto

2018 OUT OF THE BUSH GARDEN/ ONSITE GALLERY/ TORONTO

2017 OUT OF THE BUSH GARDEN/ Fondazione Giorgio Cini/ Venice

2013 December GROUP SHOW/ Corkin Gallery/ Toronto

2013 Art Toronto/ Art Fair/ Corkin GALLERY/ Toronto

2013 The Ghosts of WILLIAM RONALD/ MOORE GALLERY/ TORONTO

2013 WINTER EXHIBITION/ Moore Gallery/ Toronto

2013 THE WHITE SHOW/ BAU XI Gallery/ VANCOUVER

2012 ART TORONTO/ ART FAIR/ MOORE GALLERY/ TORONTO

2012 ART TORONTO/ ART FAIR/ BAU XI VANCOUVER/ TORONTO

2012 FRESH FACES/ NEWZONES/ CALGARY

2012 SUMMER EXHIBITION/ BAU-XI Gallery/ VANCOUVER

2012 SUMMER EXHIBITION/ MOORE GALLERY/ TORONTO

2012 WINTER/ MOORE GALLERY/ TORONTO

2012 WHEN NIGHT FALLS/ BAU-XI Gallery/ VANCOUVER

2011 HIGHLY DESIRABLE/ NEUBACHER SHOR CONTEMPORARY/ Toronto

2011 art toronto/ art fair/ moore gallery/ toronto

2011 art toronto/ art fair/ bau-xi gallery/ toronto

2011 Number 10 show/ w2 Storyeum/ vancouver

2011 winter exhibition/ moore gallery/ toronto

2010 art toronto/ art fair/ moore gallery/ toronto

2010 number 9 show/ w2 Storyeum/ vancouver

2010 summer group show/ Moore gallery/ toronto

2010 winter group show/ Moore gallery/ toronto

2009 winter group show/ moore gallery/ toronto

2008 Queen West Art Crawl/ Toronto

2008 Artscape/ The Gladstone hotel/ Toronto

2008 Liberty Market Loft Artists/ liberty/ Toronto

2008 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition/ Toronto

2007 Fifteen/ The Gladstone Hotel/ Toronto

2007 Queen west art crawl/ toronto

2007 Outdoor Art Exhibition/ Toronto

2006 Studio Tour & Sale/ 96 spadina/ Toronto

2006 The Body/ Khiasma Gallerie/ Paris

2006 MFA Graduate Show/ Concourse, London

2006 Landmarks/ Lethaby Gallery/ London

2006 new Exhibition/ Nolia’s Gallery/ London

2006 Sub. Situ 01/ Mashed Potato Gallery/ Deptford/ UK

2006 Where Are You Now?/ 12 Box Gallery/ Seoul

2006 8 New Names/ Gallery 102:The Tea Building/ London

2005 Mid-term Exhibition/ Concourse Gallery/ London

2005 Square Foot Show/ AWOL Gallery/ Toronto

2005 Panorama/ Spin Gallery/ Toronto

2005 Hart House Art Competition/ J.M. Barnicke Art Gallery/ Toronto

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020 March 7 - 21/ Process and Image/ Bau-XI Gallery/ Toronto

2019-2020 December 2 - February 15 /Tilt + Pull/ arkansas state university- Mountain Home/ Arkansas

2019 November 9-23/ Painter’s Paradise/ Bau-Xi Gallery/ Vancouver

2015 PARADE/ Track and Field Gallery/ Toronto

2013 CHROMA NATIONAL/ Corkin Gallery/ Toronto

2013 COLOUR IN SPACE/ Moore Gallery/ Toronto

2012 SKY WRITING / Bau-Xi Gallery/ Vancouver

2011 MEGATHERIUM/ Moore Gallery/ Toronto

2011 THE ALGONQUIN REPORt/ Bau-Xi gallery/ Vancouver

2010 FURIOUS FROLICS/ Moore Gallery/ Toronto

2010 LITTLE ROAR/ Moore Gallery/ Toronto

2009 NEW WORKS/ 13th Street/ Niagara

2009 SUNSHOWERS/ Moore Gallery/ Toronto

2008 RED STAYS BRIGHT/ 968 Queen/ Toronto

2007 BLOOMING HIDE/ Spin Gallery/ Toronto

SELECTED AUCTIONS / VISITING ARTIST CRITIQUES

2020 ART GEMS

2020 Gilda’s Gnome Garden

2019 Teddy Bear Affair

2019 YWCA

2019 Art Gems

2018 ART GEMS

2018 YWCA

2017 ART GEMS

2017 NYoTA

2016 art gems

2016 Waddington’s Contemporary canadian art auction

2016 NYOTA

2016 TEDDY BEAR AFFAIR

2015 Waterkeeper

2015 Art Gems

2015 TEDDY BEAR AFFAIR

2015 Nyota

2015 Varley Art Gallery

2014 ART GEMS

2014 waterkeepers

2014 nyota

2014 TEDDY BEAR AFFAIR

2013 ART GEMS

2013 Visiting Artist/ critiques for the Undergraduate Painting/ University of Toronto

2013 Waddington’s Contemporary canadian art auction

2013 Waterkeepers

2013 AFYC

2013 Visiting Artist/ critiques for the Undergraduate Painting/ University of Toronto

2012 ART GEMS

2012 visiting artist/ critiques for the undergraduate painting/ university of toronto

2011 ART GEMS

2011 visiting artist/ critiques for the undergraduate painting/ university of toronto

2010 ART GEMS

2010 Varley ART Gallery

2010 visiting artist/critiques for the undergraduate painting/ university of toronto

2009 ART GEMS

2008 ART GEMS

2008 Art Gallery of Hamilton

PRESS, TEXT AND MEDIA

2020 Painting Modernity/ The Sound/ March 5/ Bart Gazzola

2016 The happiness equation: want nothing + do anything = have everything by Neil Pasricha

2013 Global Morning television programme for preview of Art Toronto

2013 September Issue of Zoomer Magazine

2013 Mention on blog Oh by the Way

2011 Online Artist Feature, Vancouver is Awesome

2011 Artist mention on The File

2011 Online Artist Feature: No. 10 Group Exhibition, Vancouver

2011 Lecture: Emily Carr and Her Daughters by Joan Murray at John M. Parrott Art Gallery

2010 Now Toronto’s Daily Slide Show of This Week’s Must-See Art Shows By Fran Schechter

2010 Bits Magazine

2010 Here and Now Interview/ OMNI TV

2010 Art Sync TV

2010 The Donovan Collection Book

2010 Here and Now/ OMNI TV

2010 www.SNAPdowntowntoronto.com

2010 online/ Merge:Rising Stars Glow in the Show/ She Does the City

2010 The Beat: Arts in London

2009 Art/ Toronto Life magazine/ April

2009 Liberty Gleaner/ March/April

2007 here and now interview/ OMNI TV

2006 Student Shows/ Time Out London/ September

2006 Assist in Interviews for future Central Saint Martins candidates for MFA 07/ London

View artwork by Nicole Katsuras