About

When I came to Canada in 2011, I experienced a new land, new people and such cultural diversity for the first time. Immigrating to a new country allowed me to merge my artistic and architectural backgrounds. At age 37, I felt a childlike sense of curiosity and imagination. I began to ask myself, Who am I? What am I doing? And what do I want for my life?

Born: 1974, Tehran, Iran
Based in: Toronto, Canada

Golnaz Khadivi Zand is a figurative realism painter whose work bridges cultural memory, migration, and personal transformation. She holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from Azad University, Tehran (2001), and taught at the Faculty of Art and Architecture, Islamic Azad University of Mashhad, before immigrating to Canada in 2011.

Her art reflects the immigrant experience through a deeply personal and symbolic lens. Influenced by Persian culture and Rumi’s poetry, Golnaz explores themes of identity, confinement, and freedom. Motifs such as frames, threads, and curtains recur in her paintings, representing both physical and metaphorical boundaries. These layered elements invite viewers to engage with overlooked human conditions and histories, while connecting individual experiences to universal narratives.

Golnaz’s works have been exhibited widely in Canada, Spain, England, Switzerland, and Iran. She has received multiple international awards, including First Prize at the Colour and Form Society’s Members’ Exhibition (2024), First Prize at the Federation of Canadian Artists’ Open National Juried Exhibition (2025), and Best in Show at the Markham Group of Artists’ Windows Open (2022). She was a finalist in the ModePortrait 2023 exhibition at the MEAM Museum in Barcelona and the Art Prize 2023 at Boomer Gallery in London, with her paintings featured in MEAM’s Leonardo Catalogue.

An elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA), the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA), and the Colour and Form Society (CFS), Golnaz is recognized for both her artistic contributions and her leadership within the Canadian art community. She was invited to serve as a juror for the SCA’s In the Open International Exhibition in 2025.

Alongside her studio practice, Golnaz is dedicated to art education. She teaches at Violet Art Studio in Toronto, where she inspires students of all levels, and has volunteered with workshops for Canadian newcomers, fostering cultural dialogue and creativity. She continues to advance her own artistic development through the Academy of Realist Art and international workshops with masters such as David Kassan and Fernando Freitas.

Through her work as an artist, educator, and juror, Golnaz Khadivi Zand contributes a unique voice to contemporary realism, weaving together cultural heritage, migration, and the universal search for identity and belonging.

 

CV

Toronto, Canada
Figurative Realism Painter | Educator | Juror

EXHIBITION:

2025

  • 57th Juried Exhibition, Society of Canadian Artists (SCA)

  • Portraits 2025, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto

  • Open National Juried Exhibition, Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA Toronto) — First Prize

2024

  • Elected Members’ Exhibition, SCA, Viva Vida Gallery, Quebec City — Honourable Mention

  • ModePortrait 2023, MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain — Finalist

  • 72nd Open Juried Exhibition, Colour and Form Society (CFS), Toronto — First Prize

  • 56th Juried Exhibition, SCA — Honourable Mention

  • Keeping Dream Exhibition, Dignam Gallery, Women’s Art Association of Canada (WAAC), Toronto

  • Drawing 2024, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto

  • Members’ Exhibition, CFS, Neilson Park Creative Centre, Toronto — First Place

  • Northern Vision, Canadian Art Daily, Online Exhibition

  • Almenara Online Exhibition, Spain

2023

  • Art Prize 2023, Boomer Gallery, London, UK — Finalist

  • Elected Members’ Exhibition, SCA, Carre des Artistes Gallery, Montreal

  • HOMEWARD, Ontario Society of Artists (OSA), NPCC Gallery, Toronto

  • Open International Juried Exhibition, SCA — Top 25 Artists

  • Spring Exhibition, Academy of Realist Art Toronto, Joseph D. Carrier Gallery

  • Members’ Exhibition, CFS, Neilson Park Creative Centre, Toronto — Third Place

  • Leonardo Catalogue, Third Edition, MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain

  • 70th Anniversary Members’ Exhibition, CFS, Joseph D. Carrier Gallery, Toronto — Special Mention

  • Almenara Online Exhibition, Spain

2022

  • Windows Open, Markham Group of Artists, Markham — Best in Show

  • On the Edge, 20th Annual International Exhibition, Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), Vancouver

  • Reflection: Our Roots and Our Times, CFS Members’ Exhibition, Brampton — First Prize

  • Open International Online Juried Exhibition, SCA

2021 and Earlier

  • Drawing 2021, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto

  • 53rd Open International Juried Exhibition, SCA

  • Annual Members’ Exhibitions, Colour and Form Society (2019–2021)

  • Richmond Hill Art Walk, Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts (2021)

  • Windows Open, Markham Group of Artists (2019–2021)

  • Artbox Project SWISSARTEXPO, Zurich, Switzerland (2019)

Awards & Recognition

  • 2025 — First Prize, Open National Juried Exhibition, FCA Toronto

  • 2024 — Honourable Mention, Elected Members’ Exhibition, SCA, Quebec

  • 2024 — Honourable Mention, 56th Juried Exhibition, SCA

  • 2024 — Diploma of Finalist, ModePortrait 2023, MEAM Museum, Barcelona, Spain

  • 2024 — Semi-finalist, ARC International Salon — three works selected for The Lunar Codex

  • 2024 — First Prize, 72nd Open Juried Exhibition, CFS, Toronto

  • 2024 — First Prize, Members’ Exhibition, CFS, Neilson Park, Toronto

  • 2023 — Finalist, Art Prize 2023, Boomer Gallery, London, UK

  • 2023 — Third Place, Members’ Exhibition, CFS, Neilson Park, Toronto

  • 2023 — Special Mention, 70th Anniversary Members’ Exhibition, CFS, Toronto

  • 2023 — Selected Artist, Leonardo Catalogue, Third Edition, MEAM Museum, Barcelona

  • 2022 — Best in Show, Windows Open, Markham Group of Artists, Markham, Canada

  • 2022 — First Prize, Reflection: Our Roots and Our Times, CFS Members’ Exhibition, Brampton

  • 2022 — Selected Artist, Special Edition of ModPortrait 2022

  • 2020 — Member Award, Windows Open, Markham Group of Artists, Markham, Canada

  • 2020 — Certificate of Artistic Achievement, Luxembourg Art Prize, Luxembourg

  • 2020 — Certificate of Acceptance, Artbox Project SWISSARTEXPO, Zurich, Switzerland

  • 2019 — Certificate of Acceptance, Artbox Project SWISSARTEXPO, Zurich, Switzerland

Education & Professional Development

  • 2001 — Master’s in Architectural Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

  • 2013 — General Arts, Seneca College, Toronto, Canada

  • 2019–2021 — Academic Painting & Drawing Curriculum, Academy of Realist Art, Toronto

  • 2025 — Juror, In the Open International Exhibition, SCA

Workshops & Masterclasses

  • David Kassan — Raven Painting Workshop (2023)

  • Fernando Freitas — In the Studios of Bouguereau, Portrait Drawing Workshop (2020)

  • Lucas Keratockwil — Landscape Painting Certificate, Vancouver (2019)

Professional Memberships

  • Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) — Elected Member

  • Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) — Member

  • Colour and Form Society (CFS) — Elected Member

  • Women’s Art Association of Canada (WAAC) — Member

Teaching Experience

  • 2018 – Present — Art Instructor, Violet Art Studio, Toronto, Canada

  • 2022 — Volunteer Workshop Leader, Canadian Newcomers Program, North York Community Centre

  • 2001 – 2008 — Instructor, Faculty of Art & Architecture, Islamic Azad University of Mashhad, Iran

 

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