2nd Place Winning Entry, 2024 Open Competition
Robyn Asquini, Cascade, oil.
Robyn Asquini
Toronto artist, Robyn Asquini has always found art to be therapeutic. From a young age she explored various art forms, from drawing and painting to creating clay and papier-mâché sculptures and making jewelry. "I was a shy child," she says, "so working around other creatives was a way of fitting in and making friends."
After attending design school, Asquini embarked on a career as a commercial artist, specializing in graphic design and illustration. However, her passion for painting remained undiminished, eventually leading her to focus solely on her painting career.
Robyn Asquini, Folly, oil
"My work is inspired by anything beautiful, interesting, or moving," she says. "Historical and contemporary images of advertising, photographs, movies, paintings, and apparel informs my overall approach. I'm also inspired by the people around me — my friends, family, and fellow artists and I strive to capture their physical likeness and expression through my art." "I've always been fascinated with diverse art forms, particularly geometric patterns and abstract compositions,' she says, "yet I never lost my interest in realism. While studying at the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto, I began experimenting with different brushstrokes, fusing realism with abstraction. This led to my series of abstract wave paintings, characterized by the juxtaposition of giant brushstrokes and smooth rendering of the figure."
Robyn Asquini, Apothecary, oil
In addition to the Academy of Realist Art, Asquini's art education includes Parsons the New School of Design in New York, and Sheridan College in Toronto. She participates in shows and exhibitions, has won numerous awards, and works full-time as a painter and art instructor.
She says, "For me, painting has always been a meditative practice that allows me to process and make sense of the world."
