ABOUT
Simon Kattar, reflecting on his creative process, says that “it is largely intuitive and spontaneous, inspired by music, nature, and the grateful experience of everyday life.
Sometimes I think I do more painting when I'm not painting. Inspiration can come from anywhere and from the most unexpected places, but music is a constant source of revelation: Chopin, Vivaldi, or the voice of Fairuz, melancholic and nostalgic however seemingly mundane.” Colour, texture, gesture and organic forms are layered and blended into a visual weave that hints at underlying feelings and the complexity of our inner lives as well as the world around us. Exploring his Lebanese Canadian heritage and culture, his paintings are an extension of physical experience and memories. He intends his work to be a point of connection between himself and the viewer, and the viewer and their own personal landscapes.
Artist C.V.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Gesture Toronto
2019, Playing with Color, Toronto
1980, Opening Doors, Artwork Gallery Toronto
2018, Conversations in Abstraction, private studio viewing Toronto
2014, Awakening the Creative Spirit, private studio viewing Toronto
2013, Ethereal Landscapes, private studio viewing Toronto
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 you do you Lesley grove gallery Toronto
2024, Raw artist Toronto
1986, Artwork Gallery, Toronto
1982, Artwork Gallery, Toronto
Artist Biography
Born and raised in Lebanon, Simon moved to Toronto in 1973. He has painted since he was a child and returned to his first love of painting full-time in recent years. In 2007 he founded the Waladi Child Education Fund of Toronto, which promotes education as a right for children from marginalized communities at home and around the world. Simon began showing his work in the late 1980s, in small public galleries and in private settings. “When I’m painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. I compose my paintings full of movement and memories. I find inspiration in music, seeking to visually transmit the sound of Chopin, Vivaldi, or even Farouze song.”
