Katrina was born in Cebu, Philippines until immigrating in 1998 with her family to Toronto, Canada. Her passion for the visual arts led her to eventually attend Seneca College for the Independent Illustration program where she honed her skills in both the digital and traditional disciplines. Now an emerging Toronto-based artist, she currently works as a full time freelance painter, specializing mainly in acrylic-based portrait paintings. On the side, she’s also competed in multiple “Art Battle” competitions, making it as a finalist in the National Championship in 2017.
Her paintings have been exhibited in various local Toronto art galleries including Artususiam, Black Cat and Northern Contemporary Art Gallery. Publications include being featured in NOW! Toronto “Seven Artists to Follow on Instagram”, Create! Magazine May 2017 issue, Emboss Magazine “Women Artists Issue”, and most recently being displayed among other Canadian artists/illustrators to display their art (during the month of December 2017) at the Yonge-Dundas Square’s new large screens. Other notable collaborations also include large scale paintings for the 2016 & 2017 St. Lawrence Market “Summer Series Festival” and painting a traffic light box mural for StreetARToronto “Out Of the Box 2017”.
Katrina’s painting style can be described as a colourful & vibrant exploration of her subjects, often approaching themes of nature and the human figure in a fantastical manner. She hopes to share and inspire people from around the globe with her work someday and looks forward to future the adventures art will bring her.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Drawing my inspiration from past firsthand experiences, and capitalizing on painful moments, I have come to use the medium of painting as an outlet to make sense of my environment and the world around me. Through the course of my practice, I have grown to realize that connecting with nature has not only provided me with a better understanding of myself, but also with the impact of my relationship to my surroundings. This has resulted in a spark of fascination in exploring the correlation between human nature versus mother nature. Through a combining of the themes of nature and the human figure, my work often capture a contemporary intimate view of patterns and behaviours found in nature, while merging them with how an individual will carry themselves throughout their life. They are a reflection of the age old alchemical saying: “As above, so below, as within, so without.”
Through the juxtaposition of seemingly contrasting prolific imagery such as skulls; associated with death, and adorning them with life, such as vines and leaves; an association with life, is a way for the viewer to bridge these ambiguous concepts and create conversation on the interchangeability of the ideas and their symbolism. In my perception, the energy that I implement through the process of creating colorful and vibrant paintings are an allegory of my artistic goal of approaching somber topics of life and death and directing it towards a more playful and positive lens. Through this, I hope to spread awareness of the capability of shaping our own realities that we all possess, with an emphasis on the importance of the ability to understand our inner selves through our connection with the outer natural universe. Which in turn will allow us to gain a better understanding of how to shape and heal our lives for the better.
ARTIST CV
Education
May 2015 – Seneca College, North York / Diploma for Independent Illustration Program
Professional Affiliations
Sept. 2016 – Present | Artist Member | The Patch Project | Toronto
Aug. 3, 2016 | Illustration Workshop Instructor/Guest Speaker | McGregor Community Centre | Toronto
Mar. 2016 | Painter | Amiro Design Inc. | Toronto
Mar. 2014 – Aug. 2016 | Tactile Set/Props Maker | Campfire Studios | Toronto
Aug. 2013 – Aug. 2014 | House of Moments Gallery | In House Painter | Toronto
Group Exhibitions
Jan. 2018 – “Paintings From The Art Battle Library” | Artusiasm Art Gallery, Toronto
Dec. 2017 – “A Festivus For The Rest of Us ” | Northern Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto
Sept. 2017 – “Atoms of Fashion” | Japanese Canadian Culture Centre, Toronto
July. 2017 – “Dirty Talk Art Show 008” | Round Venue, Toronto
Mar. 2017 – “Progressing Human (In)Security” | The 519 Community Centre, Toronto
Dec. 2016 – “Salon of Inclusiveness III” | Black Cat – Artspace, Toronto
Sept. 2016 – “Scarborough Arts: Art in the Park” | Harrison Properties, Toronto
June 2016 – “The Underground” | Artscape Youngplace, Toronto
Oct. 2015 – “Art Side Out” | University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, Toronto
Oct. 2015 – “Pancakes & Booze Art Show” | Opera House, Toronto
Oct. 2013 – “BSC Halloween Lean” | Creatures Creating Gallery , Toronto
Dec. 2013 – “Evolving Women” | House of Moments Gallery, Toronto
Live Painting/Murals
Feb. 2018 – Live Painting | Art in the Atrium, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto
Dec. 2017 – Live Painting | “Holiday All-Stars” Art Battle, The Great Hall, Toronto
Nov. 2017 – Live Painting | Stop Gap Foundation “Ramp Up 2017”, Daniels Spectrum Centre, Toronto
Aug. 2017 – Live Painting |“St. Lawrence Market Summer Series II”, Toronto
Aug. 2017 – Mural | StreetARToronto “Out of the Box 2017”| Traffic Light Box, Toronto
July 2017 – Live Painting |“St. Lawrence Market Summer Series II”, Toronto
Mar. 2017 – Live Painting | “Art Battle 500” | The Great Hall, Toronto
Nov. 2016 – Live Painting | “Royal Winter Agricultural Fair” | Enercare Centre, Toronto
Aug. 2016 – Live Painting |“St. Lawrence Market Summer Series”, Toronto
Mar. 2016 – Mural | Private Residence, North York
Aug. 2014 – Mural | “Bell Box Murals” | Malvern Electrical Bell Box, Toronto
June 2014 – Live Painting | “Unplugged Moments” | House of Moments Gallery, Toronto
Awards
May 2017 – 1st place – Art Battle / Teal Power Heart to HeART Fundraiser at Free Space , Toronto
Nov. 2016 – 1st place – Art Battle / Royal Agricultural Winter Fair at Enercare Centre , Toronto
Oct. 2016 – Behance Appreciation Award/ Portfolio Review & Critique at TWG Headquarters , Toronto
Oct. 2016 – 1st place – Art Battle / Reel World Film Festival at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto
Sept. 2016 – 1st place – Art Battle / Hullmark Developments Private Event , Toronto
Aug. 2016 – 1st place – Art Battle / Tumult Art Festival at Ryerson University, Toronto
Mar. 2016 – 1st place – Art Battle / Art Battle #376 at the Great Hall , Toronto
Dec. 2015 – 1st place – Sketch Jam “Jammy Challenge” at Wallace Gastro Pub, Toronto
Publications/Features
Dec. 2017| Yonge-Dundas Square | Digital Exhibit
Aug. 2017| Emboss Magazine | Women Artists Issue – Volume 2, p40 & 41 | Print
Aug. 2017| NOW | “Seven Toronto Artists to Follow on Instagram” | Online
May 2017 | Create! Magazine | Issue 4, p128-131 | Print
