Bio
Omar Chris Canales-Cisneros is a Toronto-based painter of Salvadorian
descent. His practice is primarily based in painting and expands into sculpture and installation. As a Latin American man, Canales' work is concerned with exploring issues of identity, which entails heritage, sexuality, gender, and, most importantly, the intersectionality of these fields. His practice implements the artistic methodology of decreation by burning materials that are representative of prejudicial ideologies and incorporating the resulting ashes into a final body of work, using the ashes as pigment for oil paint. His most recent work combines this technique with canvases he fabricates using Salvadorian textiles, taking on forms that expand the picture plane, giving the work sculptural characteristics. The imagery dissects themes of family dynamics in relation to his identity and has translucent elements to allow the textiles to come through, allowing their vibrancy to contrast the somber monochromatic palette of the ash pigment.
CV
Education
OCAD University, Bachelor of Fine Arts with distinctions (GPA 90)
Major: Drawing and painting
Minor: Sculpture and Installation
Solo Exhibitions
2024: Un Gran Varon. Arts Etobicoke, 4893 Dundas Street W. Toronto, ON. May 15- June 17
2023: The Fabric of Identity. Ada Slaight Gallery, 100 McCaul St. Toronto, ON. March 22-27
Group Exhibitions
2024-2025: Fourth Annual Juried Show of Visual Arts. Art Gallery of Mississauga. October 19, 2024- January 12, 2025
2024: Get Noticed: Online Exhibition. Red Head Gallery. 401 Richmond St, Toronto. December 4 – 21, 2024
2024: Off the Hook Auction. MacLaren Art Center, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie, ON. November 20-22
2024: Glow Up: Mews Fest Debut. City of Barrie Culture days exhibition. 12 Lakeshore Mews, October 4-31
2024: Intersections: Threads of identity. Arts Etobicoke, 4893 Dundas Street W. Toronto, ON.October 3-November 16
2024: Just Portraits Exhibit. Gallery 1313, 1313 Queen St W, Toronto. August 14-25.
2024: The Food Exhibit. Double Door Gallery. 4004 Horseshoe Valley Rd W, ON. August 16-September 1
2024: In House: Spare Room Artists. Artists in residence showcase. 12 Lakeshore Mews, July 19-August 2
2024: Exhibición de Arte en Artscape. Hispanic Canadian Heritage Council: Wychwood Barns, , Toronto, ON. June 23
2024: Benefactor Show. MacLaren Art Center, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie, ON L4M 3M2 May 3- 23.
2024: Nook Studio semi-annual art show. Nook Studios, 119 Dunlop St. Barrie, ON. January 27- February 10.
2023: We are Resilient, juried art show 2023. Arts Etobicoke, 4893 Dundas Street W. Toronto, ON. Sept 20- November 10.
2023: Toronto Outdoor Art Festival. Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St W, Toronto Art Fair. July 7-9
2023: GRADEX 108. OCADU, 100 McCaul St. Toronto, ON. May 3-7
2022: Proud You. KunstMatrix Digital exhibit April 15- May 22
2020: First Self. Digital exhibit. https://express.adobe.com/page/TbHmg4m64K3N9/
2020-2021: The Exploration of Drawing. KunstMatrix digital exhibit. December 10-March 10
2020: Living Arts Center, 4141 Living Arts Dr, Mississauga. June 2019-June 2020
2020: Opening Reception. LeTao Gallery Café, 356 College St. December 19-31
2019: Class of 2019 exhibit. Art Gallery of Mississauga, 300 City Centre Dr, Mississauga. May 6-12
Public Arts
2024: Billboard Project: Dundas square. Hispanic Canadian Heritage Council billboard broadcast of Hispanic artists at Young and Dundas square. 1 Dundas St E, Toronto. September 28-29.
2024: Downtown Barrie BIA, Meridian Place piano
Conferences
2024: Salvadorian Consulate. Business and Entrepreneurial Conference. Representative for visual arts. Toronto. November 2.
Awards
2024: Short listed for Emerging Artist Award Presented by Georgian College, Design & Visual Arts. Nov 12.
2024: Honorable Mention. Fourth Annual Juried Show of Visual Arts. Art Gallery of Mississauga. October 24
2023: Mrs. W.O. Forsyth Award: Fourth year drawing and painting award
2023: CEAD Industry Career. Launcher Prize: Solo booth awarded for Toronto Outdoor Art Fair
2022: Marsh Urquhart Memorial Scholarship: For excellence in drawing and Painting OCADU
2021: IODE Ontario Scholarship. OCADU
2020: Academic Achievement; Highest Grade Point Average in Visual Arts, Digital Arts, and Study of Fashion
Professional Affiliations
2024: Consulate General of El Salvador in Toronto (Consulado General de El Salvador en Toronto)
2024: Hispanic Canadian Heritage Council (HCHC)
2024: Canadian Society of Contemporary Aluminum Arts
2023-2024: The Spare Room art collective. Center for Emerging Artists
Studio assistant Positions
2023-2024: Studio Niiwin, studio assistant for Solomon King. Specializing in mould making and mosaic arts. Working on projects for the city of Toronto, and the University of Toronto
2022-2023: OCAD U Foundry. Studio monitor and class assistant. Specializing in the loss wax process
Instructing Positions
2024: Art for the Heart. Gouache painting instructor for non-profit program
2023-2024: Drawing House. Painting instructor and early childhood art development instructor
2022-2023: Campion Art club. Paint night instructor.
Publications
2024: Where Art We At. Luisé Cisneros OCADU LIVE Alumni Publications
Workshops
2023: Artist Talk. Microsoft Teams, Professional Practice Workshops
2022: Textile and Design St. Edmund Campion Secondary School (artist talk)
Curatorial Projects
2020-2021: The Exploration of Drawing. KunstMatrix digital exhibit. December 10-
March 10
Professional Development
2024: Tkaronto Black Walnut: Making Oil Paint with Professor Lauchlan Reid. October 11. At the Sustainable Colour Lab.