Carol Wainio

Carol Wainio was born in Sarnia, Ontario in 1955. After studies at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and the University of Toronto, she earned an M.F.A. from Concordia University in 1985. She taught in the Visual Arts Department at the University of Ottawa from 1987 to 1989 and was an assistant professor in the Department of Visual Arts at Concordia from 1989 to 1998. Wainio lives and works in Ottawa, where she is an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa. Carol Wainio is a recipient of the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts (2014).

Wainio's exhibition The Book, curated by Diana Nemiroff for Carleton University Art Gallery, contained works from 2002 - 2010, and toured throughout Canada. A comprehensive hardcover catalogue is available. Wainio’s paintings were featured in the solo exhibition Old Masters, curated by Crystal Mowry for the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, March - April, 2013. Her work was exhibited at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts as part of the group exhibition Her Story Today, October 2015 - August 2016. In 2018 she was included in the inaugural group exhibition We'll All Become Stories at the new Ottawa Art Gallery. In 2019 she was named the Artist-In-Residence at the Diefenbunker, in Ottawa, which led to the exhibition Disasters for Little Children. Wainio's work was included in the group exhibition Painting Nature with a Mirror, at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, December 2019 – June 2020. Wainio’s paintings were the subject of the solo exhibition Réenchantement at 1700 La Poste in Montreal, November 2023 - January 2024.

Solo Exhibitions
2025
  • Precedents, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2024
2023-24
2022
  • Sauvetage, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2021
2020
2019
  • Disasters for Little Children, Diefenbunker, Ottawa
2017
2016
  • The Fall Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2014
2013
2012
  • Durham Art Gallery, Durham, ON
2011
  • Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
  • Galerie René Blouin, Montreal
  • The Book, Varley Art Gallery, Markham, ON
2010
  • Trépanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
  • Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
2008
  • Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
2007
  • Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
2006
  • Galerie René Blouin, Montréal
2004
  • Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
2003
  • Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax
  • Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa
2002
  • Days Arrayed, Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
2001
  • Trépanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
2000-01
  • Contemporary Registers, Touring solo show, Musée d'art de Joliette (2000), Oakville, Ontario (2001), London, Ontario (2001), Calgary (2001)
2000
  • Le Livre, La Livrée, Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
1999
  • Galerie Rochefort, Montréal, Québec
1998
  • Persistent Images, Art Gallery of York University, Toronto
1996
  • Operating Theatre, Galerie Rochefort, Montréal
1995
  • S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto
1993
  • S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto
1991
  • Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver
  • S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto
1990
  • Galerie Chantal Boulanger, Montréal, Québec
1989
  • Galerie d'art du Centre Culturel de l'Université de Sherbrooke, QC
1988
  • S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto
1987
  • Galerie Chantal Boulanger, Montréal
1986
  • S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto
1985
  • Imagining the Past/Remembering the Future, S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto
1983
  • Carol Wainio, Concordia Art Gallery, Montreal
1982
  • Yarlow/Salzman Gallery, Toronto
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
  • Watershed, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2022
2021
  • Rusted Sky, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2020
2019
  • Painting Nature with a Mirror, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
  • We'll All Become Stories, Ottawa Art Gallery
2018
2015
2014
  • Her Story Today Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
  • Second Time Around Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
  • GGAVMA 2014, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
  • In a Word, Stewart Hall Art Gallery, Montréal
2013
  • History Becomes You Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
  • Other Worlds, curated by Patrick Macaulay, Harbourfront Center, Toronto
  • Project Peinture/The Painting Project, Galerie UQAM, Montréal
2012
  • Menaginary, Glenbow Museum, Calgary
  • Sixty Painters, Humber College, Toronto
2011
  • Between the Cracks, Oboro, Montreal
  • 25 ans, Galerie René Blouin, Montreal
2010
  • Femmes artistes, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Québec City
2009
  • Trépanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
  • (with Ron Shuebrook) Dalhousie University Art Gallery, Halifax (catalogue)
2008
  • Through the Looking Glass, Glenbow Museum, Calgary
  • Carte Blanche, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto
  • Carol Wainio, Ron Moppet, Trépanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
  • Build-Up, Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa
2006
  • Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
2005-06
  • Contemporary Galleries, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
2002-03
  • Painters 15, Shanghai Art Museum, People's Republic of China (2002); Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, Ontario (2003)
2002
  • Trépanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
2000
  • Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
1999
  • Les Peintures, Galeries René Blouin, Montréal
  • Trépanier Baer Gallery, Calgary
  • Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto
1998
  • Peinture/Peinture, Belgo Building, Montréal
1997
  • Blaast, Galerie Rochefort, Montréal
1995
  • A Notion of Conflict - A Selection of Contemporary Canadian Art, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
1994
  • Shirley Wiitasalo, Carol Wainio, Galerie Rochefort, Montréal
1993
  • Reflecting Paradise, Expo '93, Taejon, South Korea
  • Perspective in Contemporary Art, Centre D'Exposition Du Vieux Palais, St. Jerome, Québec
1992
  • Vues d'Ensembles, Centre Internationale d'Art Contemporain, Montréal
1991
  • Anninovanta, Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna, Bologna
  • Working Truths/Powerful Fictions, Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan
1990
  • Aperto, Venice Biennale, Venice
  • S.L. Simpson Gallery, 1980-1990, S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto
1989
  • Ludger Gerdes, Serge Murphy, Carol Wainio, 49th Parallel, New York
1988
  • "Les Temps Chauds, Musée d'art contemporain, Montréal
  • The Ninth Dalhousie Drawing Exhibition, Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax
  • Contemporary Canadian Works on Paper, Concordia Art Gallery, Montréal
1986
  • Group Show, The Willard Gallery, New York
  • Songs of Experience, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
  • City Detour, Optica, Montréal
1985
  • Anxiety/Alienation/Aphasia, University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Alberta
  • Ecrans Politiques, Musée d'art contemporain, Montréal
  • Contemporary Canadian Painting, Thomas Barry Fine Arts, Minneapolis
  • Perspective '85", (two-person show), Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
1984
  • Wainio/Mackenzie, Yarlow/Salzman Gallery, Toronto
Selected Collections
  • National Gallery of Canada
  • Musée des beaux arts de Montréal
  • Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
  • Art Gallery of Ontario
  • Glenbow Museum
  • University of Lethbridge
  • Air Canada
  • Lavalin
  • Chase Manhattan Bank
  • CIL
  • McCarthy Tetrault
  • Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt
  • Royal Bank of Canada
  • Toronto Dominion Bank
  • Ministry of External Affairs, Canada
  • Canada Council Art Bank
Selected Bibliography
  • Dick, Terence. “Carol Wainio at Paul Petro”, 2015, Akimbo
  • Milroy, Sarah. “Once Upon A Time Before: The Art of Carol Wainio”, Bordercrossings, Volume 32, 2014
  • Delgado, Jérôme. “De jeunesse et d’expérience”, Le Devoir, January 18, 2014
  • Pohl, John. “Wainio explores stories and images”, The Montréal Gazette, January 18, 2014
  • Genois, Audrey (Ed.). Le Projet Peinture/The Painting Project (exhibition catalogue), Galerie UQAM, 2013
  • Beatty, Gregory. “Unspun Fables”, Prairie Dog, April 18, 2013
  • Schechter, Fran. “Wainio’s Twisted Folklore”, Now Magazine, March 2013
  • Sandals, Leah. “Carol Wainio on Wentegate, Fairy Tales & Climate Change”, Canadian Art, February, 2013
  • Dick, Terence. Carol Wainio at Paul Petro, Akimbo, February, 2013
  • Wylie, Liz. “Wonderful technique on dark ruminations”, Kelowna Capital News, Feb. 1, 2013
  • Milroy, Sara. Review, Canadian Art, Fall, 2011
  • Innes, Randy. The Book, (Exhibition Catalogue), Carleton University Art Gallery, Fall 2010
  • Falvey, Emily. “Unsettling Painting’s Landscapes”, Canadian Art – Online, April 22, 2010
  • Shuebrook, Ron. Black and White with Storylines, (Catalogue), Dalhousie Art Gallery, November, 2009
  • Carter Flinn, Sue. “Ron Shuebrook and Carol Wainio:”, Canadian Art, October 2009
  • Barnard, Elissa. “Shared Exhibit sheds light on art of mentoring”, Chronicle Herald, Sept. 24, 2009
  • Milroy, Sarah. "Curatorial Celebrations", Globe and Mail, November 22, 2008
  • Roenisch, Clint. "Carte Blanche V.2 Painting", Magenta Foundation
  • Sandals, Leah. "Uncertain terms", Now Magazine, Volume 28, Number 7, Fall 2008
  • Black, Anthea. "Ron Moppett and Carol Wainio", Border Crossings, Summer, 2008
  • Woodley, Eric. "Carol Wainio, Wynick/Tuck Gallery", Canadian Art, Winter 2007
  • Dault, Gary Michael. "Carol Wainio at Wynick/Tuck", Globe and Mail, June 9, 2007
  • Alexander, Matt. "Carol Wainio's Ramshackle Paintings", BlogTO, June 13, 2007
  • Anderson, Randall. "Carol Wainio", Galerie René Blouin, Border Crossings, #102, 2007
  • Dault, Gary Michael. “Wainio’s Secret Paint Garden”, Globe and Mail, November 6, 2004
  • Gessell, Paul. "Wainio Returns to Rave Reviews." Ottawa Citizen, May 20, 2003
  • Rochefort, Jean-Claude. "Carol Wainio: Matrice picturale", Spirale, March-April 2003
  • Enright, Robert. "The Very Rich Hours of Carol Wainio", Border Crossings, February, 2003
  • Milroy, Sarah. "Brushes With the Best", Globe and Mail, May 11, 2002
  • Milroy, Sarah. "Critic's Choice", Globe and Mail, May 4, 2002
  • Thériault, Michèle. Carol Wainio: Les Registres du contemporain/Contemporary Registers, (Catalogue), Musée d'art de Joliette, 2000
  • Dault, Gary Michael. "Wainio's eccentric wonderlands", Globe and Mail, May 6, 2000
  • Lamarche, Bernard. "De la lecture", Le Devoir, Mars 7, 1999
  • Tousley, Nancy. Persistent Images, (Exhibition Catalogue), York University, 1998
  • Aquin, Stéphane. "Carol Wainio: Théâtre intime", Voir, November, 1996
  • Mignot, Dorine. Notion of Conflict: A Selection of Contemporary Canadian Art (Exhibition Catalogue), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1995
  • Aquin, Stéphane. "Hors Cadre", Voir, May 5, 1994
  • Lacroix, Laurier. "Peinture Ponctuation", Trois, Volume no. 3, 1994
  • Spalding, Jeffrey. Reflecting Paradise, (Exhibition Catalogue), Expo '93, 1993
  • St-Pierre, Gaston. Vues d'ensemble (Catalogue), Centre International d'art contemporain de Montréal, 1992
  • Barilli, Renato. Anni Novanta (Exhibition Catalogue), Galleria Communale d'arte Moderna, Bologna, Italy
  • Bradley, Jessica. Working Truths/Powerful Fictions. MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan, 1991
  • Bérard, Serge. Carol Wainio (Exhibition Catalogue) Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver, 1991
  • Rasponi, Simonetta, La Biennale Di Venezia (Exhibition Catalogue), Venice, Italy, 1990