KATHRYN MACNAUGHTON

Works

Blissful , 2024

Biography

Canadian artist Kathryn MacNaughton's colourful, exuberant paintings interweave an effortless, gestural approach that incorporates elements of abstract expressionism and figurative suggestions into one poetic, bold statement.

MacNaughton is interested in the collision of colour, movement, and form in which each piece is a journey and form of discovery. Each piece exhibits her deft control of materiality through a free-form spontaneity and rigorous attention to the process as it unfolds. The Lisbon-based artist responds to actions in real-time, finding rhythmic patterns through a technique that includes both gesturalism and improvisation.

Hers is a delicately balanced and intuitive process. "Each pouring of paint is a form of navigation. It's a terrain of uncertainty, knowing precisely when to halt or trust my instincts to push the boundaries further. I am constantly acting and reacting to what's happening on the canvas. It's quite physical. In a way it's almost spiritual, being able to think and see without a predetermined image, I'm reaching toward unlimited possibilities."

The scale of the canvas also invites a performative aspect, demanding not just MacNaughton's concentration but her ability to react with a physical intensity. "Painting allows me to turn thoughts into action," she states, "expressing emotions in a direct and powerful way. Each piece is a reflection of my perspective, a blend of chaos and calm, capturing the essence of... I think, existence itself."

KATHRYN MACNAUGHTON (b. 1985, Toronto, Canada) lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal. She graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design in 2007.

Solo exhibitions include: Current Reflections, Simard Bilodeau Contemporary, LA (2024); Impulsive Impressions, Bau Xi Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2024); Moving Parts, Presented by BEERS London, Saatchi Gallery, London (2023); Ripened Fruit, Bau-XI Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2023); Passages, MAGMA Gallery, Bologna, Italy (2023); Past Pleasures, Galería Pelaires, Mallorca, Spain (2022); Full Body, Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2022); Into the Groove, Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2021); Heatwave, BEERS London (2020); Intervals, BEERS London (2018); Fixed State, Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto (2018); Sprang, Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto (2016); and Blue Note, Huntclub Gallery, Toronto (2015).

Group exhibitions include: Island Time, Volery Gallery, Dubai (2022); Organized Chaos, Magma Gallery, Bologna, Italy (2019); Pour, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York (2019); Your Favourite Artist’s Favourite Artist II, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York (2019); Dualities: A Bridge Between Two Worlds, Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto (2017); SMASH, Gardiner Museum, Toronto (2016); and The One That Got Away, Artscape Youngplace, Toronto (2015).

Art Fairs include: CAN Ibiza, Hollis Taggart (2024); Feria Arco with Galería Pelaires, Madrid, Spain (2023); Future Fair New York, BEERS London, New York (2022). Residencies include: Pada Studios, Lisbon (2019). Macnaughton’s work has been featured in publications such as Elle Magazine, District-W Magazine, and The Coveteur.

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Exhibitions