Born Montreal, Quebec, 1959
Academic Qualifications
2010 Film Making Certificate, George Brown College, Toronto, ON
2007 MFA, York University, Toronto, ON
1982 AOCAD, Ontario Collage of Art and Design, Toronto, ON
Representation
Karen Boltax, NYC and Los Angeles CA https://www.thisartfulhome.com/painting-hitchcock
SUNNY GALLERY, Toronto, ON https://www.sunnygallerytoronto.com/en/artist/john-abrams/
Archives
The CCCA Canadian Art Database Project, http://ccca.concordia.ca
Exhibitions
2024
LATE NATURE, curated by Bob Wiseman,Tranzac Club, Toronto ON
It Don’t Exist – Imagining the City Within and Beyond the Archive, Art Gallery of Windsor,
curated by: Christopher McNamara
2023
40 X 40, curated by Adrienne Trent, Gallery 1313, Toronto ON
PLAS ART SHOW, curated by Sunny Gallery, Coex Center, Seoul, Korea
2021
THE NATURE OF IT..., curated by David Huff, Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, ON
DRAWING, curated by Neda Omidvar and Steve Khan, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
2020
GAY GARDENS, curated by Patrick DeCoste, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
DOG SHOW, curated by David Liss and Dr. Matthew Brower, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
PAINTING 2020, curated by Niki Dracos, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
2019
John Abrams, Soul Art Space, Busan, South Korea
LA Art Show, with Sunny Gallery at the Los Angeles Convention Center
CAT SHOW, curated by RM Vaughan, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
COLLECTION SHOW, Tom Tomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, ON
PAINTING. 2019, curated by Christopher Cutts, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
DRAWING 2019, curated by Paul Petro, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, ON
2018
Identity/Identify, curated by Linda Jansma, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa
2018 BAMA Busan Art Fair, Busan, South Korea
Art Palm Springs, Sloan fine Art, curated by Karen Boltax, Santa Monica, California https://www.artsy.net/show/sloan-fine-art-sloan-fine-art-at-art-palm-springs-2018
2017
The hold: studies in the contemporary collection, curated by Sonny Kerr, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston
Fathers of Confederation (John Abrams/Kent Monkman), Alyssa Trudeau, Campbell House, Toronto, ON
2016
John Abrams : Painting Movies, The Terrance Theatre, Charleston, SC
Tuck Shop, curated by Keith Cole, Buddies and Bad Times, Toronto
John Abrams, The Misfits in Progress, Fine and Dandy Gallery, Toronto
DADDY, Curated by Patrick DeCoste, E.L. Rudy, Toronto
Sweet Summer Sixteen, members group show, Loop Gallery
2015
John Abrams: Painting Movies, curator: Kelly McCray, First Canadian Place Gallery, Toronto
John Abrams, curated by Dyan Marie The Orchard, Toronto
2014
Tuck Shop, curated by Keith Cole, Buddies and Bad Times, Toronto
John Abrams, Seeing Seberg, Loop Gallery, Toronto, ON
Look What We Have, (John Abrams, Aganetha Dyck, Diana Thorney croft, Tim Whiten and Arthur Heming), Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound
John Abrams: Land Mark Combine, RiverBrink Art Museum, Queenston,
John Abrams, “Sex and a Shower . . .”, FINE & Dandy Art Gallery, Toronto
2013
Wiki, Station Gallery, Wiki, curated by Olexander Wlavsenko, Whitby, ON
John Abrams: Remix Moderne, Evans Contemporary, Peterborough, ON
By the Seat of Our Pants, Boltax Gallery, Shelter Island, NY
2012
Oh, Canada, curator Dawn Owen, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph
RE: Arrange, curated by Patrick Macaulay, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto
Entertaining Modernism, Loop Gallery, Toronto, ON
Narrative Disorders, Memorial University Sir Wilfred Grenfell College Gallery, Corner Brook, NL
artMRKT HAMPTONS, artMRKT SanFranisco, Texas Contemporary and Miami Project, with Boltax Gallery, Shelter Island, NY
2011
Entertaining Modernism, The Canary Gallery, Peterborough, ON
Painting Hitchcock, Boltax Gallery, Shelter Island, New York
This is Paradise, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, ON
artMRKT HAMPTONS, artMRKT San Francisco, Texas Contemporary and aqua 11, with Boltax Gallery, Shelter Island, NY
2010
Christmas Spice, Paul Petro C contemporary Art, Toronto, ON
Art With Heart, Cassey House Art Auction, Toronto, ON
Here in my Car, curated by James Patten, Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor,
Further than Confederation, curated by Ihor Holubizky, McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, ON
Archive and the Everyday, Levy Gallery, curated by Ihor Holubizky McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton
Work on Paper, Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Art Show and Auction for Haiti, Boltax Gallery, Norwood Club, 241 West 14th St., New York, NY
6th Annual C Magazine Benefit Auction, Red Bull Gallery, Toronto, ON
Painting and Photography, Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2009
Paix Au Vietnam, A Space Windows, Toronto, ON
Dracula, The Window Project, curated by Ho Tam, Victoria BC
Appetite for Construction, curated by Mia Nielsen, Drake Hotel, Toronto,
Medium Close Up, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto, ON
Contempt, Spoke Club, Toronto, ON
Summer, Boltax Gallery, Shelter Island, NY
Christmas Spice, Paul Petro Contemporary Art Projects, Toronto, ON
Casey House Art Auction, at the Carlu, Toronto, ON
Toronto International Art Fair, with Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2008
cinema vernis, solo show curated by RM Vaughan at the McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, ON
Swept Away, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto, ON
Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary Canadian Art, Mc Master Museum of Art, Hamilton, ON
Wild Things, Paul Petro Project Space, Toronto, ON
Appropos, curated by Kelly McCray, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, ON
C Magazine Show & Auction, Birch Libralato, Toronto, ON
On Representation, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto, ON
TIAF with Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto, ON
2008 Casey House Art Auction, at the Carlu, Toronto, ON
CASH RULES BUT YOUR LOVE IS KING, Art Metropole Auction Toronto
2007
Little Soldier, with JJ Lee, Loop, Toronto, ON Two Figures on a Beach, Accolade West Gallery at York University, Toronto, ON
Milk Milk Lemonade, Red Head Gallery, Toronto, ON
Crowd Conscious, curated by Jan Allan at Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston, ON
Would I: Interrogative or Proposition, curated by Gilles Hebert, Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, ON
Summer Show, Boltax Gallery, Shelter Island, NY
C Magazine Show & Auction, Georgia Scherman Projects, Toronto, ON CCCA Art Auction, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, ON
Here Is Where We Meet, curated by Ben Portis in the Gales Gallery at York University, Toronto, ON Tangents, Accolade West Gallery at York University, Toronto, ON
Little Dude, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto, ON
Valentines, Paul Petro Multiples, Toronto, ON
Random Thought Generator, Accolade Gallery West, at York University
Art @ Suite 500, Miles S. Nadal Management Centre, Toronto, ON
Fundraiser for Critical Art Ensemble founder Steven Kurtz, organized by A Space, at SPIN, Toronto, ON
2006
Greatest Hits, curated by James Patton, Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor,
Remote Splendor, 64 Steps, Toronto, ON Skin of the City, Accolade West Gallery at York University, Toronto, ON
C Magazine Show & Auction, Leo Kamen Gallery, Toronto, ON
Campestral, Cube Gallery, Ottawa, ON Art at Suite 500, Miles Nadal Management Centre, Toronto, ON
Sweet Tooth, curated by Kelly McCray, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, ON
True Spectrum T-Dot, curated by Oliver Girling, Loop Gallery, Toronto, ON
Hello Dolly, Spin Gallery, Toronto, ON Queen Street West Nuit Blanche, curated by Clara Hagarittay, Spin Gallery, Toronto, ON
Book, Spin Gallery, curated by Juno Yuon, Toronto, ON
Suit Case, York Quay Gallery at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON
2005
Betty Blue, Zsa Zsa Gallery, Toronto, ON Breathless, Loop, Toronto, ON
Go Figure, Latchman Gallery, Souville, ON 5th Anniversary Show, Loop Gallery, Toronto, ON
QUEEN WEST ART-SCUM curated by Ishvan Kantor at MOCCA, Toronto
Publications
2014
John Abrams & Candia Girling at Loop, feature review by Simon Termine, ARTORONTO.CA
2013
John Abrams: Remix Moderne, essay by Carmen Victor, Evans Contemporary, Peterborough, ON
2012
2011/2012 Season Conversations, interview by Mike Hansen, ArtSync, pages 138-139
2010
Further Than Confederation, McMaster Museum of Art Newsletter - Winter Spring, essay by Ihor Holubizky
The Archive and Everyday Life, McMaster Museum of Art Newsletter – Summer, essay by Ihor Holubizky
Eldon Garnet & John Abrams Art Pages, BORDERCROSSINGS, Issue No. 114 May
John Abrams: Parks Combine, BLOOR NO.1 (paintings & text by John Abrams) p 22-29
2009
Torontoniensis, catalogue, essay by: Gordon Hatt
TIAF 2009, Toronto International Art Fair catalogue
Casey House art auction catalogue , Toronto
2008
cinema vernis. McMaster Museum of Art catalogue, essays by: RM Vaughan, Sky Gilbert, John Greyson, Jeremy Podeswa, RM Vaughan, and Christina Ziedler
John Abrams- Artist Project, The Gender Issue, Kiss Machine, pages 10-11
TIAF 2008 Catalogue Toronto International Art Fair
Cassey House Art Auction Catalogue, Toronto
2006
i book, A book of Self-Portraits by Artists, Published by OCAD, Toronto
2005
John Abrams: Breathless, artist project - front cover, Kiss Machine, No.11 The Shame Issue, fall
John Abrams: Betty Blue, artist project Kiss Machine. No.10, The Disposable Issue, spring pages 36-38
2004
John Abrams: Doctor Strangelove, artist project The Bear Deluxe Magazine, #21, winter, page 3
John Abrams: Les Amoureux, artist project KISS MACHINE 9 Love and Stars
John Abrams: Just A Kiss Away, medi<ation> online catalogue
Public Art Collections
O’Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois, National Gallery of Canada, Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, ON
The Memorial University Art Gallery, Corner Brook NFL, Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery, Oshawa, ON
Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, ON, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, ON, McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, ON, Doris McCarthy Art Gallery, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, ON, University of Toronto Art Centre, Toronto, ON, Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, ON and several private and corporate collections across North America.