T. (Tanya) Markvart

Artist Statement

T. (Tanya) Markvart is an artist living and working in Ontario, Canada. She studied Fine Arts at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, before earning a Masters and Doctorate in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, Ontario. Her artistic lineage is rooted in her Dutch and Czech heritage.

​My work moves between abstract realism and still life to illuminate the mysteries of the heart and mind. I'm excited to paint images that appear in my dreams, so I'm most inspired by the visual language of my subconscious. This internal source is informed by my interests in symbols, psychology, and philosophy. I begin with staged compositions and photography as the basis for working in acrylic ink on birch panels. I love to allow the wood grain to emerge through the medium in surprising ways. This interplay between the wood grain and layers of transparent acrylic ink gives my work a distinctive effect that defines my painterly signature.