Sarah Letovsky
b. 1987 Toronto, Canada
Sarah Letovsky takes inspiration from the tradition of figurative painting and the female subject as muse, with a painting language wholly her own - in which flesh, faces, and background invite a play between subject, brushstroke, and the physical process of painting. Influenced by the interior lives of women, Letovsky's work often evokes a sense of intimacy, hinting at spaces of belonging and familiarity such as bedrooms and living rooms. Reminiscent of selfies (a camera is never directly featured but implied), Letovsky raises questions about who the image is for, and by. Her work invites the viewer to consider the self-image as a contradiction and an equilibrium in which the private becomes public, a work of both intimacy and exhibitionism. Letovsky completed her BFA at OCAD University in 2014 in Drawing and Painting, and was the recipient of the Mrs. W.O. Forsyth Award for Excellence in Painting. Her work has been featured at Art Toronto and in 2 solo exhibitions at Patel Gallery (Toronto).
Education
2014 Bachelor of Fine Art, OCAD University, Toronto ON
2009 Bachelor of Art, University of King’s College, Halifax NS
Auctions
2017 Art With Heart Auction, Casey House, Toronto ON
2016 Art With Heart Auction, Casey House, Toronto ON
2016 The Art of Healing, Ronald McDonald House, Toronto ON
2016 ArtsEffect Auction (as selected by Jamie Angell), VIBE Arts, Toronto ON
2015 Art With Heart Auction, Casey House, Toronto ON
Residencies
2016 Artist-in-Residence, Soho House, Toronto ON
2015 Resident exhibitor with NEST Collective, Artscape Youngplace, Toronto ON
Solo Exhibitions
2018 I Like For You to be Still, Project Gallery, Toronto ON
2017 Select works displayed at FRANK Social through AGO Art Rental and Sales, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto ON
2016 GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS, Project Gallery, Toronto ON
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 Double X, Ethan Cohen Gallery, New York NY
2019 Portraits - Selection of Works from the Collection, Arsenal Contemporary, Montreal QC
2019 Inaugural Group Show, Patel Gallery, Toronto ON
2018 Today's Paper, Angell Gallery, Toronto ON
2017 Group Show, Sussex Contemporary, Ottawa ON
2017 Inaugural Group Show, Sussex Contemporary, Ottawa ON
2017 Summer Group Show, Project Gallery, Toronto ON
2017 About Face, Drake Devonshire, Prince Edward County ON
2016 Works on Paper, Project Gallery, Toronto ON
2016 SURFACE Art Fair, Artscape Sandbox, Toronto ON
2016 SPRING TRAINING, Only One Gallery, Toronto ON
2016 Forecast I, Project Gallery, Toronto ON
2015 Nesting, Artscape Youngplace, Toronto ON
2015 Inhabitance, Hashtag Gallery, Toronto ON
2015 Annual Juried Figure Show, OCAD University, Toronto ON
2014 Annual Juried Figure Show, OCAD University, Toronto ON
2013 Look Inside, OCAD University, Toronto ON
2013 Annual Juried Figure Show, OCAD University, Toronto ON
Fairs
2019 Foire Papier Art Fair, Grand Quay, Port of Montreal, Montreal QC
2018 Art Toronto, Metro Convention Centre, Toronto ON
2015 Art Toronto, Metro Convention Centre, Toronto ON
Awards and Distinctions
2014 Mrs. W.O. Forsyth Award for Excellence in Painting, OCAD University
2013 Honourable mention, OCAD University Juried Figure Show, Toronto
2010 Roman and Mary Schneider Foundation Scholarship
Collections
Works held in private collections in Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, and New York
Selected Press and Publications
2019 "Duane Linklater, Rajni Perera Lead Art Toronto 2019 Sales", Canadian Art
2018 "Sarah Letovsky’s Paintings Put the Female Muse in Charge", Format Magazine, Interview with Stanzie Tooth
2018 "A Portrait of the Artist", a short film by Fraser White, Booooooom
2017 Art Gallery of Ontario Website
2016 "Sarah Letovsky: Girls Girls Girls at Project Gallery", Artoronto.ca
2016 "GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS - The Curious Paintings of Sarah Letovsky", She Does the City
2016 "Brave Faces" Feature, FASHION Magazine, Print Edition
2016 "10 Up and Coming Toronto Artists You Should Know", BlogTO
2015 "Sarah Letovsky: Portraiture, Abstraction, and Female Narratives in the Art World", Interview with Lexiquette
2015 "Art With Heart Auction", The Jealous Curator
2015 Interview with FY-CA
2014 "NEST Collective Studio / Open House", artoronto.ca