About the artist
Joumana Yaghi
Joumana Yaghi is a Toronto abstract painter who builds colour into texture — large canvases that change as the light, and the viewer, move.
Making has always been her first language. As a child she was rarely without a sketchbook — drawing, painting and sewing, happiest at the easel in art class. She went on to study Public Administration and Political Sciences, but the pull to make never faded, and in 2011 she gave herself fully to modern abstract art.
Toronto sharpened her eye. A cosmopolitan city with cutting-edge art on every corner set her experimenting with acrylics and mixed mediums — first for her own walls, and from 2020 on large-scale canvases made to hold a room.
Her work speaks the language of mid-century modern and Art Deco design: minimal structure, vibrant colour, and surfaces layered in metallic acrylic and raised, tactile paint.
Since 2022 she has worked with MONAT Gallery of Madrid, which has shown her paintings at the Innsbruck International Contemporary Art Fair in Austria, the Paris Art Fair, and the group exhibitions The Dialogue and Marea in Madrid. She also paints commissions, made for a particular wall or space.
Toronto, Canada
Artist statement
I am inspired by cosmopolitan city life. My art reflects my love for bold colours, fashion statements and modern architecture. Through my approach I try to carry Mid-Century Modern and Art Deco vibes, producing minimal yet vibrant pieces with versatile acrylics as my medium.
Nature finds its way in too — seasons and skies captured through layers of colour, with bold textures built from acrylics and mixed mediums.
My art reflects my everyday experiences, emotions and interests in life. Creating is a process of experimentation and self-discovery; it lets me express myself in ways words cannot.
— Joumana Yaghi
The path & exhibitions
The journey
From a childhood sketchbook to art fairs in Innsbruck and Paris — with MONAT Gallery, Madrid, since 2022. Works also listed on Artsy and Artsper.
- Childhood
Stop 01
A sketchbook in hand
Drawing, painting and sewing — always making something new out of nothing, usually at the easel in art class.
- University
Stop 02
A detour through politics
She studies Public Administration and Political Sciences.
- 2011
Stop 03
The true calling
Modern abstract art takes hold — and never lets go.
- Toronto
Stop 04 · Toronto, Canada
A cosmopolitan city
Surrounded by cutting-edge art on every street corner, she experiments with acrylic paint and mixed mediums — first for her own walls.
- 2020
Stop 05
Going large
She takes the work up a notch with large-scale abstract canvases — bold colour, heavy texture.
- 2022
Stop 06 · Innsbruck, Austria
Innsbruck International Contemporary Art Fair
She begins working with MONAT Gallery of Madrid, which takes her paintings to Austria.
- 2023
Stop 07 · Madrid, Spain
The Dialogue
A group exhibition at MONAT Gallery in Madrid, from late March to mid-April.
- 2024
Stop 08 · Paris, France
Paris Art Fair
Three days at the Paris Art Fair, shown with MONAT Gallery.
- 2024
Stop 09 · Madrid, Spain
Marea
Back in Madrid for Marea — Spanish for “tide” — a group exhibition at MONAT Gallery.
- Next
Stop 10
Your gallery, or your wall
Galleries, curators and collectors can reach Joumana directly — the next stop on the journey could be yours.
