KAROLE MAROIS

Karole Marois is a contemporary Canadian figurative painter whose practice bridges classical training with a deeply intuitive and poetic exploration of the human condition and the natural world. Based in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Marois has cultivated a multidisciplinary career spanning over four decades, marked by technical excellence, narrative sensitivity, and a commitment to cultural engagement.

A graduate of the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD University), where she earned her AOCA in Fine Arts, Marois further refined her practice through international study in Florence, Italy. There, she completed both an off-campus program with OCAD and a concentration in painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti. This formative period grounded her work in the traditions of European figurative painting, instilling a lasting sensitivity to composition, gesture, and the expressive potential of the human figure. She later expanded her technical repertoire with a diploma in Computer Animation from Sheridan College, reflecting an early embrace of evolving visual technologies.

Marois’ career has been defined by both artistic versatility and public engagement. She has worked extensively as a portraitist, educator, courtroom artist—including assignments at the Supreme Court of Canada—and muralist. Notably, she completed large-scale heritage mural commissions for national museums and Parks Canada, contributing to the visual narration of Canadian history within public spaces. These experiences have informed her studio practice, where storytelling, memory, and identity remain central themes.

Her exhibition history is extensive, encompassing solo, group, and travelling exhibitions across Canada and internationally. Her work has been featured in institutions such as the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and galleries in New York, Washington, and Europe. As a participant in the Canadian Forces Artist Program, her work formed part of the touring exhibition A Brush with War: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan, further underscoring her engagement with historical and social narratives.

In recent years, Marois’ practice has increasingly centered on the elemental and symbolic power of water—explored through a series of critically engaged exhibitions including The Power of Water, Water Remembers,Freshwater Reflections. These bodies of work often incorporate interdisciplinary collaborations with poets, creating immersive experiences that merge visual and literary expression. Through these projects, Marois examines themes of transformation, memory, and ecological consciousness, positioning water as both subject and metaphor.

Her work has been widely recognized through grants and awards from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, supporting both exhibition development and independent projects. In 2025, she was awarded a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, following her participation in the Gibraltar Point Artist Residency in Toronto, affirming her ongoing commitment to artistic growth and experimentation.

Marois is an active member of the Canadian Artists Representation (CARFAC), as well as several regional arts organizations including the Prince Edward County and Quinte Arts Councils. Her contributions to the arts community extend beyond her studio practice to mentorship, assessment, and advisory roles, reflecting a sustained investment in the development of Canadian visual culture.

Her work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the High Commission of South Africa, and municipal and cultural institutions across Canada and abroad.

Currently represented by Trinity Galleries in Saint John, New Brunswick, Marois continues to expand her presence through exhibitions and collaborations, with a focus on deepening her connection to audiences both locally and nationally. Her work remains rooted in a profound sensitivity to place, presence, and the enduring resonance of lived experience.

Artist Statement:
Water holds a deep and powerful magic for me, a force that stirs emotional energy and connects us all to the world around us. In my paintings, I delve into this bond, exploring themes of unity and the delicate thread that links humankind to water in all its forms.

My technique flows like water itself, built from layers of transparent acrylic washes that capture fluidity and movement. This transparency speaks to impermanence, inviting viewers to reflect on memory, change, and the fleeting moments that shape our lives. My journey as an artist and a water enthusiast has brought me to the shore of Lake Ontario, where I currently live. In this vast freshwater ocean that constantly shifts and transforms, I find endless inspiration. As a sailor, swimmer, and dedicated water lover, I feel a profound responsibility to honour and protect the vitality of these precious ecosystems. Through my work, I aim to draw viewers into a quiet, contemplative space—one where the subtle dance between humanity and nature becomes visible. My paintings serve as a meditation on water’s transient beauty and its enduring presence, reminding us of the life flowing through and around us all.

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