Artist Bio

Elif Giray is a Turkish/Canadian, Toronto-based self-taught abstract painter and collage artist whose work delves into the themes of memory, relationships, time, and the ephemeral nature of life.

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Primarily self-taught, Elif honed her craft through years of experimentation, guided by curiosity and an intuitive approach to artmaking. While she took a handful of painting courses, her true education came from hands-on practice and studying the works of artists like Gerhard Richter and Jean-Paul Riopelle. Influenced by the Automatiste movement and abstract impressionism, her work embraces spontaneity and layered complexity.

Elif works across a range of mediums and techniques. Her paintings are created primarily with acrylics and acrylic mediums, while her collages incorporate watercolour, vintage photography, pastel, paper, and paint. Across both forms, her work lingers in the in-between, where opposing forces—texture and flow, vibrancy and stillness—are not resolved, but held in balance.

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In 2022, she held a solo exhibition of her collage work in Toronto. Her pieces are held in private and corporate collections across Canada and beyond.