2025 Competition

Scroll down and click on a portrait below to find out more about the portrait and the artist who created it.

This exhibition can be viewed in person from November 8 – 14, 2025 at Arta Gallery in Toronto’s historic Distillery District. See our post for more information.

*Winner

Jury Statement

Thoughts about the three selected works:

Louise Kermode (Winner): We were drawn to this portrait first and foremost by its masterful technique, which manifests in a number of ways including the play of light and treatment of pattern. We were also struck by the powerful presence of the sitter, Madonna (Donna) Meaney, an important model in the history of Canadian art. Here Donna returns our gaze and takes an active role in her own representation.

Opeyemi Olukotun (Honourable Mention): This portrait with its tones, palette, and spontaneous mark-making techniques, furthered the conversation around portraiture in Canada. The sitter’s expression evokes a sense of contemplation that draws the viewer into the compelling narrative constructed by the artist.

Orlin Mantchev (Honourable Mention): We were deeply impressed by the deftness with which Orlin was able to articulate the optical colour mixing approaches of pointillism, the rigorous structure of grid-based painting, and the power of monumental scale, while maintaining and emphasizing the emotional impact and intimacy of portrait painting tradition.