Michal Tkachenko ACAVA Studios
Biography
Michal Tkachenko is a Canadian/British visual artist based between Canada and the United Kingdom. Michal received her MA Fine Arts from the Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK. Her work has been exhibited in Canada, the United States, Africa and Europe and can be found in a number of collections including Ernst & Young (UK) and The Artists' Special Book Collection at the University of the Arts London (Chelsea College Library) in London (UK). She is recently the two-time recipient of the DTES Arts Grant.
In her latest series, Tkachenko is writing, performing and filming a series, The Journey, in search of the resonance of truth. Simultaneously she is working with scale models recreating a variety of COVID dioramas representing the variety of experiences people are having when confined to their home during quarantines. Trained in drawing and painting, Tkachenko’s 2-D work examines the notion of celebrity, the traditional alter piece and the iconography of the saints. Past work looks at gluttony and food’s relationship to community. She has spent time re-looking, reflecting and mapping her face, misaligned through a life-threatening accident. After returning from living in Africa (Malawi, Liberia, and Morocco) she documented the effects of a 14-year civil war through a series of portraits. Michal is also the recipient of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Grant.
curriculum vitae
Education
2006 M.A. Fine Arts, Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London, England, UK
1998-2000 B.F.A., British Columbia Open University, Vancouver, Canada
1995-1998 A.O.C.A.D. (Honours Associates Degree), Ontario College of Art and Design, Drawing & Painting, Toronto, Canada
1996-1997 Ontario College of Art and Design, Off-Campus Independant Study, Florence, Italy
1993-1995 Capilano College, Art History and Visual Arts, North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025 [To be announced], St. Andrew’s Wesley Cathedral, Vancouver, BC, Canada [upcoming]
2024 Eastside Culture Crawl, Parker Street Studios, Vancouver, BC, Canada [upcoming]
2024 COVID Homes, Vancity Credit Union (1798 Robson St.), Vancouver, BC, Canada (2-person)
2023 Cloistered, Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, BC, Canada (2-person)
2023 COVID Homes, Rath Exhibition Windows, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2021 Eastside Culture Crawl, Parker Street Studios, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2020 Eastside Culture Crawl, Parker Street Studios, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2019 Eastside Culture Crawl, Parker Street Studios, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2018 The Fallow Field, Eastside Culture Crawl, Parker Street Studios, Vancouver, Canada
2016 Metal Head, Westminster Reference Library Gallery, London, UK
2016 Landmass, ACAVA Studios, London, UK
2015 Where We Are, ACAVA Studios, London, UK
2014 Landbase, ACAVA Studios, London, UK
2013 Post Card Saints, ACAVA Studios, London, UK
2012 Saints, East Side Culture Crawl, Parker Street Studios, Vancouver, Canada
2012 Visions & Vistas, Railtown Actors Studio, Vancouver, Canada
2011 Chatsworth, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Atrium, London, UK
2011 M40, Westminster Reference Library Gallery, Leicester Square, London, UK
2009 Antoinette, Bloc Projects, Sheffield, UK
2009 Metal Head, Look Out Gallery, Regent College, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
2009 The Human Right, Havana Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2008 Portraits: West Africa, Queen's Lounge, Mercy Ships, Monrovia, Liberia
2007 Malo Madzi Phiri, Mandala House, Blantyre, Malawi
2007 Metal Head, The Butchershop Gallery (Little Mountain Studios), Vancouver, Canada
2007 The Night my Sister was in Labour I Ate Pastries, Cotelère Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2006 Warta, Atelier Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2006 River Warta, DeLeon White Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2004 Water, A.W.O.L. Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 STILL/LIFE, This Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2024 EMERGE: DTES Small Arts Grants Film Showcase, The Cinematique, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2023 Parker Arts Salon, Pendulum Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2022 Group Show, Gallery Modicum, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2022 We Begin Again, ACT Arts Centre, Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
2021 Surfacing, The Alternative Creations Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2021 Making Home, The Fort Gallery, Langley, BC, Canada
2021 Limitless, Federation of Canadian Artists, Vancouver, BC, Canada (online)
2019 Displacement, Firehall Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2018 Christmas Show, Parker Projects, Vancouver, Canada
2018 Spaces, Places & Traces, The Arts Factory, Vancouver, Canada
2018 Interstices, Parker Projects, Vancouver, Canada (4-person show)
2017 Affordable Art Fair Battersea, Hicks Gallery, London, UK
2016 Water, North Vancouver Arts Council, Vancouver, Canada
2013 Place of Work, East Street Arts, London, UK
2013 Vauxhall Art Car Boot Sale, Bricklane Yard, London, UK
2013 Re:Creation, Lookout Gallery, Regent College, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
2012 Square Foot, Twist Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2012 Bow Arts Open Show 2012, Bermondsey Project Space, London, UK
2011 East Side Culture Crawl, Sweet William Studio, Vancouver, Canada
2011 Square Foot, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2010 The East Side Culture Crawl, Sweet William Studio, Vancouver, Canada
2010 The Pursuit of Happiness, The Center of European Meetings, Elblag, Poland
2010 War and the Body, Blackall Studios, London, UK
2010 The Pursuit of Happiness, Arsenal Gallery, Poznan, Poland
2009 Small Scale, Little Mountain Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2009 Square Foot, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2009 Ambrosia, Cupola Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2009 Going Postal, Institute of Contemporary Art, London, UK
2009 Pick N Mix, Leytonstone Ex-Woolworths Space, London, UK
2009 Canadian Portrait, Cube Gallery, Ottawa, Canada
2008 Temptation, Cupola Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2008 The National Open Art Competition, Chichester Festival Theatre, Curated by Professor Maurice Cockrill RA, Richard Cork, and Gavin Turk, (catalogue), Chichester, UK
2008 Paint Landscape Photo, Jacana Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2007 La Moustache, Hope Lounge, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2007 La Moustache, Boa Taverne Moderne, Montreal, Canada
2007 Square Foot, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2007 Group Show, The Old Sweet Shop Gallery, Sheffield, UK
2007 The Great Klondike Puzzle Rush, Dawson City Arts Society, Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
2007 Bloc Studio Artists Show, Bloc Space, Sheffield, UK
2007 Open Up, Bloc Studios, Sheffield, UK
2007 Happy Birthday, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Canada
2007 Random, Homestead Gallery, London, UK
2007 Mail Art, Struts Gallery & Faucet Media Arts Centre, Sackville, Canada
2006 MA Show 2006, Chelsea College of Art and Design, (catalogue), London, UK
2006 Square Foot, A.W.O.L. Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2006 Real Proper Show, Triangle Space, Chelsea College, London, UK
2006 The Banquet, Triangle Space, Chelsea College, London, UK
2005 Eastside Culture Crawl, 1000 Parker Street Studio, Vancouver, Canada
2005 Square Foot NYC, Project Spaceman, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2005 Square Foot, A.W.O.L. Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2005 In-Portrait, Butchershop Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2005 The Picnic Project, Swoon Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2005 Form and Function, Ayden Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2005 Group Show, Studio 88 Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2004 Holiday Show, A.W.O.L. Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2004 Euphorbia, Semiahmoo House, Vancouver, Canada
2004 Gallery Artists Show, Fosbrooke Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2004 Square Foot, A.W.O.L. Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2003 Supernumerary, Fanny Larouche Artspace, Toronto, Canada
2003 Home & Style, A.W.O.L. Studios, Toronto, Canada
2003 Viewer Discretion Advised, 10th Avenue Studios, Calgary, Canada
2003 Square Foot, A.W.O.L. Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2003 Christmas Show, Fosbrooke Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2003 Up, Untitled Art Society, Calgary, Canada
2002 Stride Beastiary, The Stride Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2002 The Art of Art Giving, Image 54 Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2000 Hope, ManiFest Gallery, North Vancouver, Canada
2000 Legacy, ManiFest Gallery, North Vancouver, Canada
1998 Harmony Arts Festival, Dundarave Centre Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
1998 Annual Exhibition, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
1998 A Single Evening Event, The Village by the Grange, Toronto, Canada
1998 Performance Piece: Untitled Piece for Percussion Ensemble & 1-4 Artists, York University, Toronto, Canada
1998 First Annual Figure Drawing & Painting Exhibition, OCAD, Toronto, Canada
1997 Re/membering, Ontario College of Art and Design Atrium, Toronto, Canada
1997 Arte Firenze, Vaughan Estate, (catalogue), Toronto, Canada
1997 Box, Ontario College of Art and Design Atrium, Toronto, Canada
1997 Allora...Buh Buh Buh, Bending Spoons Gallery, Toronto, Canada
1997 In Partenza, OCAD Studios, Florence, Italy
1996 Minestrone, OCAD Studios, Florence, Italy
1996 Annual Exhibition, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
1990 Shared Visions, Shared Concerns, Hong Kong Bank of Canada, Vancouver, Canada
1990 Artists in the Schools, Vancouver Arts Council, (catalogue), Vancouver, Canada
1989-1990 For Earth’s Sake, (touring exhibition) Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Aquarium, Western Canada Wilderness Committee, “In Our Hands” Environment Conference, Vancouver, Canada
1988 Group Exhibition, Cartwright Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
1988 Theatre for an Unperformed Opera, Vancouver Children's Art Gallery, Canada
Fundraising Exhibitions
2023 Art For Life, The Permanent, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2022 Up in the Air Fundraiser, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2022 Art for Life, Imperial Vancouver, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2021 Annual Auction Fundraiser, Fort Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2019 Take Flight, Arts Factory, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2012 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, BC, Canada
2012 Art-In-Mind, The Maynards School, Devon, UK
2012 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2011 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2010 Fermynwoods Contemporary Art hosted Art Auction, The Kingswood School, Corby, UK
2010 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2009 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2008 The Little Art Show, Hangman Gallery & Mercedes-Benz, Toronto, Canada
2008 Whodunit?, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
2008 Art for Life, Rocky Mountaineer Station, Vancouver, Canada
2008 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2007 Whodunit? Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
2007 The Little Art Show, BMW Toronto, Toronto, Canada
2007 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2006 Whodunit?, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
2006 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2005 Whodunit?, Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
2005 World Aids Day, Pacific Palisades Hotel, Vancouver, Canada
2005 Art for Life, Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver, Canada
2005 Out of the Rain, Roundhouse Centre, Vancouver, Canada
2005 Silent Auction Preview (Art for Life), Jacana Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2005 Rotary Art Auction, Red and White Club, Calgary, Canada
2004 Rotary Art Auction, Red & White Club, Calgary, Canada
2003 Foxy Fundraiser, Red Head Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2003 Amnesty International Arts Jam, Pumphouse Theatre, Calgary, Canada
2003 Rotary Art Auction, Red & White Club, Calgary, Canada
2002 Rotary Art Auction, Euro-Canadian Cultural Centre, Calgary, Canada
2001 Rotary Art Auction, Euro-Canadian Cultural Centre, Calgary, Canada
Grants/Awards
2024 DTES Small Arts Grant
2023 DTES Small Arts Grant
2007 RBC New Painting Award (Shortlisted), Canada
2003 Alberta Foundation for the Arts Grant, Canada
1998 Mrs. W. O. Forsyth Scholarship, Toronto, Canada
1998 David L. Stevenson Scholarship, Toronto, Canada
1996 Joseph W. Bain Scholarship, Toronto, Canada
Arts Involvment
2024 onwards - Member of the Advisory Committee for the Downtown Eastside [DTES} Small Arts Grants
2023 – Teaching art workshops in the Vancouver School Board [VSB} Secondary Schools
Reviews and Publications
"Pilsbury" (television Commercial), Art used in commercial, 2015
De La Giroday, Maryse, "Gallery Views: Visual Artists as Entrepeneurs and Marketers", Preview Art Magazine, p. 32, Sept./Oct. 2013
Vandas, Dave, "We Make Stuff", Book, Vancouver, Canada, 2012
"Psych" (Television Show), GEP Productions Inc., Art used in film, 2010
"War and the Body Exhibition", Catalogue, Blackall Studios, London, UK, June 8, 2010
"The Pursuit of Happiness", Catalogue, Arsenal Gallery, Poznan, Poland, April 2010
Watts, Peter, “Pick 'N' Mix art: Woolworths Returns as Pop-Up Gallery”, Time Out, June 25, 2009
Love, Emma, “Observations: Plenty of Treats in Store as Empty Woolworths gets an Arts Make-Over” The Independent, June 26, 2009
“Paulette Edwards”, BBC Radio: South Yorkshire, November 8, 2008
“Open Art”, The Audience, Autumn/Winter 2008, pg. 14-15
“The National Open Art Competition 2008”, Catalogue, Chichester Open, October 2008
“The Marmite Prize 2008”, Catalogue, 2008
"Michal Tkachenko", PaintBlog, March 13, 2008, World Wide Web: http://www.paintblog.ca/2008/03/13/michal-tkachenko/
"Mafa 2006", Catalogue, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK, Sept. 2006
Griffin, Kevin, “Culture Crawl”, The Vancouver Sun, November 12, 2005, pg. F1
Balzar, David, “Eye Candy: Square Foot”, Eye Weekly, August 11, 2005, pg. 41“Best of a Good Bargain”, R.M. Vaughan, National Post, August 13, 2005, Toronto section, pg. 10
Balzar, David, “Eye Candy”, Eye Magazine, August 26, 2004, pg. 39 (Square Foot)
Osborne, Catherine, “Painting Jamboree”, National Post, December 2003, T.O. p.9 (Supernumerary)
Goddard, Peter, “230 Square Feet of Artwork at A.W.O.L. Gallery”, Exhibit Review, Toronto Star, August 23, 2003, p. H10 (Square Foot)
Nurwisah, Ron, “Best Bet: Square Foot”, Eye Magazine, August 2003, vol.12, issue47, p.58
Katz, Milena, “Human Colour”, Parkhurst Exchange, April 2002
Interview with Jane Urquhart for “The Underpainter”, Art acquired, CBC Television, 1996
Collections
Beit Cure International Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London, Artists’ Book Collection, London, UK
Ernst & Young, London, UK
Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Canada
Carey Theological College, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Scad Holdings Ltd., Vancouver, Canada
Winkchop Productions Inc., Vancouver, Canada
Private Collections in South Africa, Malawi, China, USA, Canada, and the UK