Photo Credit: Lisa East
b. 1991
LatinX Canadian Visual Artist
Education
2022
MFA, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
2018
BFA (Drawing and Painting), Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, ON, Canada
2014
BA (Classical Studies & World Religions), Western University, London, ON, Canada
Solo Exhibitions
2026
tbd, Tom Thomson Gallery, curated by Shannon Bingeman, Owen Sound, ON.
tbd, Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre, Regina, Sask.
2024
Nomen Ambiguum, Niagara Artists Centre, St.Catherines, ON. https://nac.org/nomen-ambiguum-michelle-peraza
Repeating Granadas, curated by Karly Boileau, Cambridge Art Galleries, Cambridge, ON.
https://ideaexchange.org/cambridge-art-galleries/exhibition/michelle-peraza-repeating-granadas
2022
aquí y allá: una manera de ser (here and there: a way of being), Gales Gallery, York University, Toronto, ON.
2019
Patria Potestas, Northbound Gallery, Toronto Centre for the Arts, Toronto, ON.
2018
Thesis Award Show, ARTiculations, Toronto, ON.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025
Growing Together: Seeds of Connection, Modern Fuel, Kingston, ON
2024
Traversing Orbits, Nuit Blanche, Humber College Lakeshore Campus, Toronto, ON. (Silksol Collective)
2023
Drawing 2023, John B. Aird Gallery, curated by Giuseppe Di Leo, online.
2022
Figureworks 2022, Wallack's, Ottawa, ON.
2020
Making Spaces, curated by Karina Roman Justo, Sur Gallery, Toronto, ON.
Colores De Latinoamérica, TAP Centre for Creativity, London, ON.
2019
Art as Activism: Truth, Survivance and Resilience, curated by Dawn Owen, Guelph Museum, Guelph, ON,
Show. 19, Idea Exchange, Cambridge, ON.
Colores De Latinoamérica, curated by Alfredo Caxaj, TAP Centre for Creativity, London, ON.
2018
Figureworks 2018, presented by Wallack's, Saint Brigid's Centre for the Arts, Ottawa, ON.
Experiencing Perspectives, Mercedes-Benz, Mississauga, ON.
Impact 2018, Neilson Park Creative Centre, Toronto, ON.
The Next Big thing, Living Arts Centre Gallery, Mississauga, ON.
Fresh Meat Collective, Delisle Space, Toronto, ON.
OCAD University’s 103rd Graduate Exhibition (GradEx), Toronto, ON.
Colores De Latinoamérica ’18, curated by Alfredo Caxaj, The Arts Project, London, ON.
2017
Living Mosaic: The Cartography of Origins and Settlements, Riverdale Gallery, Toronto, ON.
In Negative Space, Ada Slaight Student Gallery, Toronto, ON.
Festival of the Body, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, ON.
2016
OCADU First Year Art Celebration, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, ON.
2015
Drawing at First Sight, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, ON.
Awards/Grants
2025
Visual Artists Creation Projects, Ontario Arts Council
2024
Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2023
Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council
Research and Creation Grant, Canada Arts Council
Visual Artists Grant: Creation, Toronto Arts Council
2022
Elizabeth Greenshields Grant, Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation
Nancy Petry Award, administered by Joe Plaskett Foundation (Jurors: David Blatherwick, Kym Greeley, Charlene Vickers)
Visual Artists Creation Projects, Ontario Arts Council
Joseph Armand Bombardier (SSHRC), Canada Graduate Scholarship- Master’s (CGS M), York University
2021/22
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), York University
2020
York Domestic Master’s Fellowship, York University
2019
Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council
2018
First Place, "Impact 2018," Neilson Park Creative Centre
Donna Maclean Award, Ontario College of Art and Design University
Eric Freifeld Award, Ontario College of Art and Design University
2017
Duncan Macpherson Scholarship of Excellence, Third Year Drawing & Painting Scholarship
University Women’s Club Heritage Fund Scholarship
2009
Monsignor Feeney Fine Arts Award
Fundraisers
2023
Project 31, OCAD University
Murals
2019, 2016
Ontario College of Art and Design University
Publications
tbd, “Notes on Paper: Spiritual Healing for Artists and Other Humans,” C Magazine, Magally Zelaya
Nov 2024, "Unearthing botanicals with Michelle Peraza," Foyer: Art and Culture News from Canada and Beyond, published by the AGO, https://readfoyer.com/article/unearthing-botanicals-michelle-peraza
May 2024, Sur Gallery PROFILES: Michelle Peraza, https://www.surgalleryvirtual.ca/12865337-michelle-pareza
Oct 2022, Issue 2.2 Healing Across Generations, Living Hyphen
Mar 2021, "Identity and art as tools of change | Portraits of two Latin Canadian artists," Radio Canada Internacional, rcinet.ca
Jan 2020, "Connecting with Heritage from Afar: Latin American Artists Showcase Work at London exhibition," CBC NEWS
June 2019, Peripheral Arteries Contemporary Art Review, Biennale Edition, 2019, issuu.com/artpress/docs/biennial.edition.vii
Spring 2019, "Spring 2019 Edition," The Humming Collective Magazine, thehummingcollective.com
May 2019, "Artist: Michelle Peraza," Multiplicityto, www.multiplicityto.com/michelle-peraza
Mar 2019, "PHOTO SHOOTS: North York artist paints portraits of Latino men in her family, " Dan Pearce, toronto.com
Feb 2019, "Political," Murze Magazine, issue four
Jan 2019, "Latin heritage celebrated at Colores de Latinoamérica art show in London," London Free Press, joe Belanger, lfpress.com
May 2018, "Thesis Student Advice and Experiences," Chiaroscuro Magazine, chiaroscuro-magazine.com
Jan 2018, Colores De Latinoamérica ’18 Catalogue
Jan 2018, “Colores de Latinoamérica features works of six artists of Latin American heritage,” Joe Belanger, lfpress.com
Artist Talks/Teaching
2024- Current
Sessional Instructor, Faculty of Art, OCAD University
Courses: DRPT 3011: The Convincing Picture (Winter 2024, 2025), DRPT 2018: Anatomy: Structure & Movement (Winter 2025)
2025 Instructor, The International Summer Art & Design Program, OCAD University
2024
Artist Talk, OCAD University: DRPT-3007 Family Archive As Portrait
Artist Talk: AGO X RBC Artist-in-Residence, Art Gallery of Ontario
Maker Friday: Entangled Botanicals with Michelle Peraza, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON
https://ago.ca/events/maker-friday-entangled-botanicals-michelle-peraza
In Conversation: Michelle Peraza and Karly Boileau, Artist Talk, Cambridge Art Galleries, Cambridge, ON. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Kfcs0pFbSaZKymmsES1lq?si=2ezFyZiLQviSvtj_TuyE0A&nd=1&dlsi=272fc71f88664c5c
Oil Paint Mixing for Portraiture with Michelle Peraza (workshop), Cambridge Art Galleries, Cambridge, ON.
Artist Talk, OCAD University: DRPT-1004 Painting II
Artist Talk, OCAD University: DRPT-3007 Family Archive As Portrait
2023
Artist Talk, Brock University: VISA 1P94 Figure Drawing
Guest Talk, Short-listed for Assistant Professor: Drawing and Painting Program (Figurative Painting Focus)(Tenure-track), OCAD University
2022
In Conversation with Michelle Peraza, Interviewed by Tammer El- Sheikh, York University's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, Toronto, ON. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8No_HheWrw
2021
Teaching Assistant, York University: VISA 3088: Drawing Comics and Sequential Art (Instructor: Laura Moore)
Portfolio Review, Sur Gallery, Toronto, ON.
2020
Making Spaces: Artist Panel Discussion, Sur Gallery, Toronto, ON.
Curatorial
2024
Co-Curator (with Niloo Inalouei). Between Ashes and Dreams. OCAD University, Toronto. Digital Catalogue.
Co-Curator (with Niloo Inalouei). Embodied Narratives: Unveiling the Stories Within. OCAD University, Toronto
2020
Co-Curator. Narrative Healing, Feminist Art Collective 2020 Festival, OCAD University. https://www.factoronto.org/2020-artists
Professional Activities
2024-
Professional Advisory Council (PAC), Sheridan College
CAFKA Programming Working Group Volunteer
2020
Feminist Art Collective (FAC) Volunteer
Collectives
Silksol Collective (with Niloo Inalouei)
Residencies
2025
i made it through the wilderness, Artscape Gibraltor Point, Mnisiing/Toronto Island, Ontario
Sustainable Colour Lab (SCL) Summer Institute, OCAD University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2024
AGO X RBC Artist-in-Residence, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada. https://ago.ca/ago-x-rbc-artist-residence-michelle-peraza.
Artist in Resident, Arquetopia Foundation, Puebla, Mexico
2023
Artist in Resident, Vermont Studio Centre, Johnson, Vermont, United States
Artist in Resident, Mauser EcoHouse Artist Residency, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
2019/20
Sur Gallery Mentorship Program, Sur Gallery, Toronto, ON.