Maya Skarzenski is an interdisciplinary artist and curator based in Toronto. Through the use of textiles, she creates bodily imagery with installations, sculptures, and paintings. Her work is sensual and fragile, yet playful and ambiguous. She holds her BFA in Drawing and Painting from OCAD University, with a minor in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In 2020, she was awarded the Mrs. W. O. Forsyth Award for excellence in painting. Throughout her practice, Skarzenski has combined fine art and craft techniques centering the work around materiality and aesthetics.

Skarzenski’s work has been exhibited across Canada in galleries, conferences and art fairs, through both juried and solo exhibitions. She has also shown her work in queer party spaces, fashion spaces, and DIY arts events to bridge communities. Skarzenski was selected for the prestigious CIBC C2: Curate and Create award in 2023. As a part of the award she created a large body of Sculptural work for her solo exhibition titled “Crépuscule”, where she explored connection through material play.


Artist Curriculum Vitae


Education

2020, BFA Drawing and Painting + Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Minor, OCAD University, Toronto

2022, User Experience Diploma, BrainStation, Toronto

2023, Creative Business Accelerator, Fineline, Toronto


Fairs

2025, The Artist Project, Toronto, ON

2024, The Artist Project, Toronto


Selected Shows

2024, Christmas at the Castle at Casa Loma, Toronto, ON

2024, Tribute to Hair, Oblique Project, Toronto, ON

2024, Fashion Art Toronto Fall/Winter, Toronto, ON

2023, Crépuscule, CIBC SQUARE, Toronto, ON

2023, Fashion Art Toronto Spring/Summer, Toronto, ON

2023, Eat Your Heart Out at The Drake Hotel, Toronto, ON

2022, Class of 2020 at Ada Slaight Gallery, Toronto, ON

2022, Nightmare on Queer St at The Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, ON

2022, Ghostly at 100% Silk, Toronto, ON

2022, The Practice at Habit Coffee, Victoria, BC

2022, Objects of Affection, Victoria, BC

2021, Keep It Alive at Gallery 1313, Toronto, ON 

2021, Collective Experience at Propeller Gallery, Toronto,

2020, When I Touch You  at OCADU, Toronto

2020, Festival of the Body at OCADU, juried show, Toronto 

2020, Art Prom at OCADU, Toronto

2019, Creature Comfort at Dorothy H Hoover Library, Toronto

2018, C.H.U.D. at OCADU, Toronto

2018, Saturate at Beaver Hall, Toronto

2017, Punk Circus at Smiling Buddha, Toronto

2017, Food Print at OCADU, Toronto

2016, Salon of Inclusiveness at Black Cat Artspace, Toronto

2016, OCADU Pop-up at Yorkville Village Arts Festival, Toronto

2016, Viscous, Anniversary Gallery at OCADU, Toronto

2016, Skin Condition, Solo Exhibition, Gladwin Studio, Ottawa

2016, First Year Student Exhibition, juried show, OCAD University, Toronto

2014, Solo Exhibition, Gladwin Studio, Ottawa

2013, Summer Student exhibition, Emily Carr University, Vancouver


Online Exhibitions

2021, Salon 15, Propeller Gallery, Online

2021, Unlimited Dada, Propeller Gallery, Online

2021, Grad Ex 105, OCADU, Online

2020, Off the Screen, Propeller Gallery

2020, DRAWING & PAINTING CLASS OF 2020 GRADEX105 SHOW, Propeller Gallery

2020, Art in the Time of Coronavirus




Curatorial

2021, Sweet Fruit at Together Apart Festival, Curator, Toronto

2021, Long Winter Season 9 Episode 3, Co-Curator

2021, Long Winter Season 9 Episode 2, Co-Curator

2020, Long Winter Season 9 Episode 1, Co-Curator

2019, Symbiosis at OCAD University, Curator, Toronto

2016, South-Division Art Show at Campus Co-op, Curator, Toronto


Awards and Grants

2025, Rise and Repaint Professional Development Award - Recipient

2023, CIBC C2: Create and Curate Program - Recipient

2020, Mrs. W. O. Forsyth Award - Recipient

2020, OCADU Career Launcher Fund - Recipient

2019, Partial X OCADU Career Launcher - Recipient


Residencies

2024: Kunstraum Residency, Kunstraum, Brooklyn, NYC

2022, Greenhouse Residency, Sweetpea Gallery, Victoria

2020-2021, Akin Studio Program, Auto BLDG, Toronto


Bibliography

2024, Inside the Studio: Maya Skarzenski, Art Dealer Street, online

2023, Rising Stars: Maya Skarzenski, Suboart Magazine, online

2021, Episode #14 Maya Skarzenski, Beyond the Frame, Interview, Propeller Gallery, online

2021, Issue VIII, PACE Magazine, Ottawa, print

2020, 105 Drawing and Painting Catalogue, OCAD University, Toronto, print

2020, Remote Art Talks, Interview, Artifier, online

2017, August, “Maya Skarzenski,” Dissolving Film Mag, online

2017, June, “Dermiscapes,” The Humming Magazine, online

2016, June/July issue, The Candy Zine, online

Using Format