Shary Boyle

Shary Boyle
Name	Shary Boyle
Birth date	1972
Birth place	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality	Canadian
Known for	Painting, sculpture, performance, drawing
Training	Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), University of Waterloo

Shary Boyle is a Canadian visual artist known for multidisciplinary work encompassing painting, ceramic sculpture, drawing, performance and installation. Her practice engages with historical and contemporary narratives, often merging figurative representation with fantastical imagery to probe subjectivity, mythology and interpersonal dynamics. Boyle has exhibited internationally in museums, biennials and galleries, collaborated with composers and poets, and represented Canada on major cultural platforms.

Early life and education

Boyle was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in rural Ontario communities near Guelph, Milton, Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment. She attended the Ontario College of Art and Design (now OCAD University) where she studied drawing and painting, and later pursued further studies at the University of Waterloo. During her formative years she was influenced by visits to institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario and collections at the National Gallery of Canada, and by artists featured in exhibitions by curators at the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization. Early scholarships and grants from bodies like the Canada Council for the Arts supported residencies and workshops in studios associated with collectives in Toronto and artist-run centres such as Gallery TPW.

Artistic career

Boyle emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s within the Canadian contemporary art scene alongside peers who exhibited at venues like the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery and the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. Her career includes solo exhibitions at institutions including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Buchmann Galerie in Berlin, as well as participation in international events such as the Venice Biennale-related projects and the Toronto Biennial of Art. Boyle has collaborated with musicians and composers from ensembles that perform at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and festivals like Luminato Festival, partnering with poets and choreographers associated with companies such as National Ballet of Canada. She has been represented by commercial galleries including David Kordansky Gallery and Canadian galleries active in exhibitions with curators from institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Tate Modern.

Style and themes

Boyle’s work synthesizes influences from European Renaissance and Baroque figurative traditions, Indigenous storytelling contexts, and contemporary feminist discourse promoted by critics at publications like Artforum and Canadian Art. Her paintings and ceramics often depict liminal figures, hybrid creatures and allegorical scenes entwined with motifs drawn from fairy tales and folklore showcased in exhibitions at the Royal Ontario Museum. Themes include the body, sexuality, power dynamics and the uncanny as discussed in salons associated with curators from the Getty Research Institute and the Museum of Modern Art. Boyle’s installations frequently incorporate performative elements referencing theatrical practices at venues such as the National Theatre and interdisciplinary projects supported by the Harvard University arts programs.

Major works and exhibitions

Notable projects include large-scale ceramic installations and collaborative performance pieces commissioned for exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada and international galleries in Berlin, London and New York City. Her 2016 exhibition accompanying a Canadian presentation at the Venice Biennale program and subsequent solo shows at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston and the Hamburger Bahnhof have been widely reviewed. Boyle’s catalogue raisonné–style exhibitions have toured to venues such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and regional museums including the Mendel Art Gallery. Collaborative works with composers performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and staged projects at the Globe Theatre expanded her profile across performing-arts festivals like Sundance Film Festival when filmic elements were included.

Awards and recognition

Boyle has received multiple awards and fellowships from organizations including the Canada Council for the Arts, provincial arts councils such as the Ontario Arts Council, and prizes conferred by foundations linked to the Royal Society of Canada. She was shortlisted for major national awards presented by institutions like the Governor General's Awards in the arts and has been the subject of grants and residencies sponsored by entities such as the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, the Fogo Island Arts Corporation and international foundations connected to the Dorfman Foundation and the Pratt Institute.

Collections and public commissions

Works by Boyle are held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate. Her sculptures and installations are included in university collections at York University and University of Toronto and municipal holdings such as the City of Toronto Public Art Collection. Boyle has produced public commissions for cultural institutions and festivals, contributing to projects curated by the Canada House delegation and urban arts initiatives coordinated with municipal bodies like Parks Canada and cultural agencies similar to Ontario Place.

Personal life and influences

Boyle lives and works in Toronto and maintains studios in the city while engaging in residencies abroad in cities such as Berlin, London and New York City. Influences on her practice include historic painters like Rembrandt, Gustav Klimt and Francisco Goya, contemporary artists such as Kiki Smith, Louise Bourgeois and Jessica Stockholder, as well as writers and poets represented in festivals like Toronto International Festival of Authors and theorists associated with programs at Columbia University and Yale University. Her interdisciplinary collaborations bridge visual art, music, performance and literature, reflecting dialogues with institutions including the Royal Conservatory of Music and academic departments at universities across Canada.

Category:Canadian artists