Since arriving in Canada in 1987 I have concentrated on furthering my interdisciplinary arts education with studies
through the Toronto Board of Education, workshops with local and international artists and as a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD).

I graduated from OCAD as an honours student in 1999 and was awardedboth the Governor General’s Medal and the Ontario College of Art and Design Medal from the Printmaking Department. During my studies I focused on fibre arts (papermaking, surface design, weaving), book arts and sculpture. Since 2001 I have focused on creating fine art that is sold through select galleries and juried public art shows.

I have also been teaching workshops and given demonstrations through art material stores, the Scarborough Arts Guild and the Society of Canadian Artists. I have maintained an art studio in downtown Toronto since 1997. Work is in private collections in Canada, Switzerland,Germany, Belgium, Greece, Spain, and the United States.

My figurative works are driven by textured, layered surfaces which speak of the passage of time, transformation and survival; a sense of whimsy brings importance to surviving tragic events in life. Personal symbols used in the work are not the familiar emblems of mainstream iconography, but intensely personal, private, obscure and ambiguous references. The imagery depicts interpretation of more than specific cultures — it represents universal human experiences; what makes us human: memory, the body as a corporeal vessel, mark-making, ephemeral feelings, ritual and honouring. Often images are sewn together, tentative stitches connecting us and mending our hurts.

The central images of the work are applied to handmade paper using a reverse batik/encaustic technique I developed. They are then mounted to wooden panels and painted with acrylics. figurative My abstract works are inspired by colours —their interactions, spatial relations and shapes. The small details of textured metal and painted symbols refocus the energy of the painting after I rigorously work the colours of the background with very wide brushes and large body movements. By applying real silver metal leaf to the wooden board before painting with acrylics, the work gains an internal glow. To me, this glow portrays the inner light of our existence, yet is also a symbolic spotlight falling onto the current moment of our lives.

Awards, Scholarships & Grants

2003	Elected to Society of Canadian Artists (SCA)
2002	Best Graduate Booth Design—Uniquely Ontario (Toronto International Gift Fair)
1999	Governor General’s Medal—Printmaking (OCAD).
1999	Ontario College of Art & Design Medal—Printmaking
1999	M. Joan Chalmers Scholarship—Printmaking (OCAD)
1999	Dr. Eugene A Poggetto Scholarship—Printmaking (OCAD)
1999	Intermediate/Advanced Papermaking Award—Handmade Paper (OCAD)
1999	Diana Myers Book Award—Bookarts (OCAD)
1999	Peacock’s Hardware Prize—Surface Design (OCAD)
1999	Dr. Eugene A. Poggetto Award—Printmaking (OCAD)
1999	George A. Reid Award—Printmaking (OCAD)
1996	Advanced Printmaking Award, OCAD Printmaking department—Award for Proficiency in Contemporary Papermaking

For more information on Monika and her work, please contact Gallery de Boer – Fine Art & Jazz. E-mail: info@gallerydeboer.ca, Tel: (519)-376-7914