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