Marica Villeneuve

Born in Toronto, Marica spent most of her life travelling between Northern and Southern Ontario, living in both the GTA and North Bay at different points in her life. She received her Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree with a Minor in Psychology in 2017 at York University, specializing in drawing and painting and winning awards in both disciplines. After graduating, she worked as a custom art framer and then as an art and framing consultant. In September 2021 she began working as a full-time artist based in Toronto. After relocating to London, Ontario in September 2023, she eventually got back into custom framing and began working at Westland Gallery part time while continuing to participate in art shows around Southern Ontario and won the 3rd Place People’s Choice Award at ART COMP by 100 Kellogg in 2024. Her art practice mainly consists of detailed works that combine realism and surrealism, with the goal of making the impossible look possible. Her experience in the framing and design industries influence her art in that interesting framing choices, colour combinations, and patterns are frequently included. Marica’s main inspiration is nature and her desire to highlight its beauty. Having experienced life in both urban and rural spaces gave her a well-rounded appreciation for city life and for being surrounded by nature. Whether it’s by relating opposing natural elements to each other, or by relating nature with man-made spaces and objects, she hopes that her artwork shows that everything on our planet is connected, and that harmony can be found if we better appreciate and preserve the world that we live in.