Trevor Kiernander is a multifaceted artist—a painter, DJ, curator, educator, and community-builder—whose work thrives on connection and refuses isolation. For nearly two decades, his practice has been anchored in abstraction, infused with influences from music, architecture, and a collaborative ethos. Whether on the canvas, at the turntables, or through city-wide events, his work focuses on crafting immersive, rhythmic experiences that unite people.
At the core of his artistry lies painting—an exploration of space, rhythm, and movement. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of music genres, including jazz, cut-up hip-hop, and the expansive sounds of techno, his paintings weave together forms, lines, and textures into dynamic, almost audible compositions. Without a horizon or fixed perspective, his works evoke the feeling of being swept into music, enveloped in sound and colour.
Born: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Resides: Tio’tia:ke/Mooniyang/Montréal, Canada
Education
2009
Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK MFA, Art Practice
2006
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada BFA w/ Distinction, Major Painting & Drawing
2000
Sheridan College, Oakville, Canada Interpretive Illustration Diploma
Collections
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (CPOA)
Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke
Loto-Québec
Mouvement Desjardins
Toronto Dominion Bank
Concordia University
Université de Sherbrooke
Conseil des arts de Montréal
FIFA (Festival International du Film sur l’Art)
Orford Centre for the Arts
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Collection Luc LaRochelle
Courchesne Larose Ltd
EROS
Parisian Laundry
Stanley Mills Collection
TCGO Inc.
Tilquin Collection
Various private collections in Canada, USA, UK, Russia and Europe
Solo Exhibitions
2025
Maison de la culture Mercier, "Oceans Were Taller in Other Dimensions IV", Montreal, Canada
2024
Maison de la culture Janine Sutto, "Oceans Were Taller in Other Dimensions III", Montreal, Canada
Quai 5160 - Maison de la culture Verdun, "Oceans Were Taller in Other Dimensions III", Montreal, Canada
2023
Art Mûr, "Oceans Were Taller in Other Dimensions", Montreal, Canada
2020
Art Mûr, "Let’s Get Lost", Montreal, Canada
2019
Galerie d'art d'Outremont, “Are We Here?”, Montreal, Canada
2018
Maison de la culture NDG, "In Free Fall", Montreal, Canada
Art Mûr, "Bound and Boundless", Berlin, Germany
2017
Maison des arts de Laval (foyer) "Désorientation", Laval, Canada
2016
Art Mûr, "Event Horizon: This Must Be The Place", Montreal, Canada
McClure Gallery,"Event Horizon: This Must Be The Place", Montreal, Canada
2014
Art Mûr, "Uncommon Ground", Montreal, Canada
2013
Vitrine, “Fallen”, London, UK
2012
Art Mûr, "Here. Not Here.", Montreal, Canada
2010
The Woodmill, "Project:Space", London, UK
Art Mûr, "To Build A Home", Montreal, Canada
Bearspace, "Trade Skins", London, UK
Select
Group Exhibitions
2023
Leipzig Print Museum, “Let’s Print Leipzig”, Leipzig, Germany
Concordia University, “flat works on the wall, sculptures down the centre part 1”, Montreal, Canada
2022
Rhythmus Zu Hause, Schkeuditz, Leipzig, Germany
Spinnerei, “Autumn Rundgang”, Leipzig, Germany
Galerie Stephanie Kelly, “Image Fétiche”, Dresden, Germany
Sunnybrook Art Centre, “Man kann es drehen und wenden wie man will”, Göhrenz, Germany
Centre Cultural Georges Vanier, “[E]spaces” w/ Lucie Bitunjac, Montreal, Canada
2021
Art Mûr, "Terra Nova", Montreal, Canada
2019
Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke, Couleurs Manifestes, Sherbrooke, Canada
Spinnerei, Autumn Rundgang, Leipzig, Germany
Spinnerei, LIA Open Studios, Leipzig, Germany
APT Gallery, Mimesis; Narrative; Against hegemony!, London, UK
2018
Galerie Michel Guimont, Quebec City, Canada
Atlas House, Ipswich Biennale, Ipswich, United Kingdom
Art Mûr, "Grâce du dessin", Montreal, Canada
Spinnerei Werkschau, "Sediments", Leipzig, Germany
LIA Spinnerei, Winter Rundgang, Leipzig, Germany
2017
LIA Spinnerei, Open Studios, Leipzig, Germany
Galerie Michel Guimont, Off-Manif, Quebec City, Canada
2016
Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery, "Sightings 17: The Time of Work", Montreal, Canada
2015
The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museu, "The Open West", Cheltenham, UK
2014
HUSK, "Teleology", London, UK
L’Blassa, “BAB//\\DAR”, in collaboration w/ Marrakech Biennale, Marrakech, Morocco
Le 18, “Here & Now - Sound Matters”, Marrakech, Morocco
2013
St James Hatcham Goldsmiths, "Post Post", London, UK
Maria Stenfors Gallery, "Endogenous II", London, UK
Southbank Centre, “My Deptford: 8 Minutes From Here”, London, UK
Enclave, “Feedback”, London, UK
Musée des beaux-arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire, “Héritage de Borduas”, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Canada
Departure Foundation, “Satelike”, London, UK
CART @ Armory Week: Dream Baby, New York, USA
Jotta, Battersea Evolution, “An Undelivered Postcard From The Edge Of The World”, London
2012
Contact, “Location Relative”, Manchester, UK
Deptford X, “Bringing Home The Art”, London, UK
Bussey Building, “For Display Purposes Only”, London, UK
London Art Fair, "Art Projects w/ Axis", London, UK
2011
Kunstverein Speyer, "So Here We Are", Speyer, Germany
Central House Of Artists, "TRANSLATE / TRANSCRIBE", Moscow, Russia
Art Mur, "Question De Principe, Matter Of Principle", Montreal, Canada
The Woodmill, "S.A.G.S.", London, UK
The Woodmill, "Nicolas Party: Elephants at the Woodmill", London, UK
38b Peckham Rye, "I Have No Use For The Truth", London, UK
Collective Show Los Angeles w/ LA Pedestrians Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
2010
Vulpes Vulpes, "Heliotrope", London, UK
ShopAt34, “Say What What Way”, London, UK
BEARSPACE, “Print Now II”, London, UK
The Woodmill “The Devil’s Necktie”, London, UK
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2023
Pictura MTL, Montreal, Canada
Art Mûr, “Reverb”, w/ Colin Canary, Beth Frey, Ian Gonczarow, Anaïs Goupy, Karine Guyon, Claudia Kleiner, Lauren Pelc McArthur, John Drew Munro, Ianick Raymond, Megan Wade-Darragh
2020
Pictura MTL, Montreal, Canada
Art Mûr, Echo, (w/ Charlene Hahne, Franziska Holstein, Franz Jyrch, Etienne Lafrance, James
Low, Christine Nobel, Maria Schumacher, Matt Schust, Julia Lia Walter), Montreal, Canada
Maison de la culture NDG, Lucky Dip, w/ Clovis Alexandre Desvarieux, James Gardner, Marley
Johnson, Benjamin Klein, Madeleine Mayo, Daniel Oxley, Bea Parsons
Galerie d’art Stewart Hall, Reserches Pictural, co-curated with Benjamin Klein, w/ Adèle
Beaudry, Sonia Haberstich, Caroline Lindsay Hart, Daniel Oxley, Cameron Skene
2013
St James Hatcham Goldsmiths, Post Post, London, UK
2010
ShopAt34, Say What What Way, London, UK
Art Fairs
2023
London Art Fair, London, UK
Positions, Berlin, Germany
Plural, Montreal, Canada
2022
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2021
Papier, Montréal, Canada
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
2020
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2019
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Positions, Berlin, Germany
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2018
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Drawing Now, Paris, France
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2017
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2016
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2015
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2014
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Papier, Montréal, Canada
2013
CART @ Armory Week: Dream Baby, New York City, USA
Jotta, Battersea Evolution, An Undelivered Postcard From The Edge Of The World, London, UK
2012
London Art Fair, Art Projects w/ Axis, London, UK
2011
Central House Of Artists, TRANSLATE / TRANSCRIBE, Moscow, Russia
2010
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Residencies, Awards, Distinctions
2024
Canada Council for the Arts, Artist Abroad: Residencies Grant, Canada
2023
Museum für Druckkunst Leipzig, Let’s Print Lab, Leipzig, Germany
Conseil des arts de Montreal, Recherche ou Création / production, Montreal, Canada
Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association Professional Development Grant, Canada
Concordia University, ARRE Research Funding, Canada
2022
Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association Professional Development Grant, Canada
2021
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec, Exploration et recherche/Arts visuels, Canada
Canada Council for the Arts, Research & Creation Grant, Canada
2020
Canada Council for the Arts, Research & Creation Grant, Canada
Conseil des arts de Montreal, Recherche ou Création / production, Montreal, Canada
2019
Canada Council for the Arts, Artist Abroad: Residencies Grant, Canada
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec, Travel Grant, Canada
LIA Leipzig International Artist Programme Residency, Leipzig, Germany
2018
Canada Council for the Arts, Concept to Realization Grant, Canada
2017
LIA Leipzig International Artist Programme Residency, Leipzig Germany
Vermont Studio Centre Residency, Vermont, USA
Merit-based Artist Grant ($1700USD) Vermont Studio Centre Residency, Vermont, USA
2014
MINT Collective Residency, Riad Biba, Marrakech, Morocco
2013
PEER Residency w/ Merike Estna, London, UK
2010
John Moores Contemporary Painting 2010 (short list), London, UK
Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2010 (short list), London, UK
Woodmill Travel Grant, London, UK
2007
RBC Painting Competition (short list): Eastern Division, Canada
Bibliography
2 Oct 2023, “Trevor Kiernander: The other dimensions of a roaming painting practice” by David Blatherwick, Vie des arts (Canada) https://viedesarts.com/en/reviews-en/trevor-kiernander-the-other-dimensions-of-a-roaming-painting-practice/?fbclid=IwAR2bft2urDUGptdiq4S66SWiGebXoVvAKkRkGfWoQ8SI5-aOOnT50oowTto
5 December 2020, “Trevor Kiernander : expressif et rayonnant” by Éric Clément, La Presse (Canada) https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/arts-visuels/2020-12-05/galerie-art-mur/trevor-kiernander-expressif-et-rayonnant.php
Winter 2020/21, “Pictura: Pleins feux sur la peinture montréalaise”, by Marie-Anne Letarte, L’Inconvenient Magazine - no 83 (Canada)
7 November 2020, “Montréal, ville-peinture avec «Pictura»” by Jérôme Delgado, Le Devoir (Canada) https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/arts-visuels/589201/arts-visuels-montreal-ville-peinture-avec-pictura
Summer 2020, “Loin des yeux, près du cœur” by Marie-Anne Letarte, L’Inconvenient Magazine - no 81 (Canada)
September 2019, “Trevor Kiernander. Crossovers” by Edwin Janzen, Border Crossings Magazine (Canada) 151
https://bordercrossingsmag.com/article/trevor-kiernander?fbclid=IwAR1QPqOrIFa7A97rH3rrL6rz2Td1g9CEv_tSlVugpZiY0KVGjylh4xsag04
January 2019, “In Free Fall,” by Benjamin Klein, Vie des Arts (Canada) 253 (Winter. 2019)
https://viedesarts.com/visites/trevor-kiernander-in-free-fall/
3 February 2018, “La Fibre Internationale D’art Mûr,” by Éric Clément, La Presse
https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/arts-visuels/201802/05/01-5152721-la-fibre-internationale-dart-mur.php
13 Jauary 2018, “Trevor Kiernander. Bound and Boundless,” by Anais Castro, Wall Street International https://wsimag.com/art/35109-trevor-kiernander
14 September 2016, “Regard double en parallèle: Les paysages composites de Trevor Kiernander” by Christian Roy, Vie des Arts
http://viedesarts.com/article1013-Les-paysages-composites-de-Trevor-Kiernander
21 August 2014, "Visual Interview", by Michael Valinsky, The Wild Magazine http://thewildmagazine.com/blog/visual-interview-trevor-kiernander/
27 November 2013, The Learned Pig, by Crystal Bennes,
http://www.thelearnedpig.org/trevor-kiernander/601
6 November 2013, Interview by Susie Pentelow, Traction Magazine
http://tractionmagazine.co.uk/post/66180462852/trevor-kiernander
23 March 2013, “Trevor Kiernander. Fallen: A conversation with the Canadian artist Trevor Kiernander”, Wall Street International http://wsimag.com/art/3273-trevor-kiernander-fallen
21 October 2011, “Art Moscow 2011: A Round Up (Video), Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/constantin-bjerke/art-moscow-2011-roundup-v_b_1023477.html
31 December 2010, “Arts visuels - De l'intime jusqu'à la peinture extreme”, by Jerome
Delgado, Le Devoir, Montreal, Canada
Summer 2010, “TREVOR KIERNANDER: La construction d’un monde pictural”, by Christian
Roy, Cover Story, Vie Des Arts Magazine, Canada (No. 219)
http://viedesarts.com/article1014-Trevor-Kiernander-La-construction-d-un-monde-pictural
June 12 2010 “Roots Of Home Reveal Where The Heart Lives” by Lori Callaghan, Montreal Gazette, Canada
http://www.montrealgazette.com/Roots+home+reveal+where+heart+lives/3145656/story.html#ixzz0qm75Px90
June 5 2010 “Le chaos raffiné de Kiernander” by Jerome Delgado, Le Devoir, Montreal, Canada
http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/arts-visuels/290264/le-chaos-raffine-de-kiernander
Apr 2010 “Goldsmiths – But Is It Art” documentary by Magnus Temple & Emma Tutty, Dragonfly and BBC Four
Publications
Dec 2020, “Pictura: Painting… In Montreal’s Image”, by Trevor Kiernander, Benjamin Klein, and Ian Gonczarow, Montreal, Canada,
Oct 2020, “Let’s Get Lost”, by Mylène Lachance-Paquin, Art Mûr, Montreal, Canada,
Oct 2020, “Let’s Get Lost”, by Andrea Valentine-Lewis, Art Mûr, Montreal, Canada,
Jan 2018, “Bound and Boundless”, by Anais Castro, Art Mûr, Berlin, Germany,
Sep 2016 “Event Horizon: This Must be the Place”, by Benjamin Klein & R. Travis, McClure, Montréa, Canada
Sep 2016 “Event Horizon: This Must be the Place”, by Stephanie Locas & R. Travis, Art Mûr, Montréal ,Canada
Sep 2014 "Uncommon Ground." by Tom Trevatt & Catherine Barnabé, Art Mur, Montreal, Canada
Mar 2013 “The Nomadic Studio.” by Michael Heilgemeir, Edition Taube, London, UK
Apr 2012 “Trevor Kiernander: Here. Not Here.” by Dominique Allard, Art Mur, Montreal, Canada
Apr 2012 “Meditations In An Emergency” by Cameron Skene, Art Mur, Montreal, Canada
Sep 2011“Translate/Transcribe” by Ian Gonczarow, Moscow, Russia
Sep 2011“So Here We Are” by Sandra Erbahcer, Speyer, Germany
May 2010 “To Build A Home” by Catherine Barnabe & Sarah Wilkinson, Art Mur, Montreal Canada
Nov 2008 "Carte Blanche 2" – Painting Magenta Foundation, Toronto, Canada
Jul 2007 “Relative Detachements”: Lyne Crevier, Katey Apsey, Art Mur, Montreal, QC