Katerina Fretwell
(b. 1944, New York City | Lives and works in St. Catharines, Canada)

Katerina Fretwell is a multidisciplinary Canadian artist celebrated for her emotionally resonant portraits, humorous manikins, and conceptual explorations of flora, fauna, and the human spirit. Working in acrylics and mixed media, her stylized compositions merge technical precision with a distinctly intuitive, expressive voice — captivating collectors who value originality, narrative depth, and a playful yet poignant point of view.

With a career spanning over four decades, Fretwell’s work has been exhibited in Toronto, Copenhagen, and internationally, and is held in private collections across Canada, the United States, Tokyo, and Copenhagen. Her solo exhibitions, including her most recent in Toronto, continue to draw audiences for their rich thematic series and innovative visual language.

Fretwell's practice is informed by a lifelong engagement with the arts — from her early years in a family of artists, to ongoing studies in portraiture, abstraction, and art history. Her process integrates fluid and solid acrylics, glitter, and sharpie with intentional colour theory and spatial awareness, often guided as much by intuition as by formal technique. The results invite moments of recognition, humour, or wonder — emotional touchpoints that collectors respond to deeply.

Also an acclaimed poet with 11 published books, Fretwell’s literary and visual practices are intertwined. She was commissioned by celebrated Canadian poet George Elliott Clarke to paint portraits for Toronto’s Literary Salon series in 2023 and 2024 — works that honour Canadian poets, including Fretwell herself. Her paintings appear throughout her poetry books, with Familiar and Forgiveness and Holy in My Nature (2024) exemplifying this dual mastery.

For collectors, Katerina Fretwell offers not only distinctive works of art but a rich, multidisciplinary vision — one that challenges, delights, and endures.