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Artist

Veronique on a Silken Night -- Painting, art

Monika Berenyi is an interdisciplinary artist and a documentary filmmaker whose creative aesthetic bridges the boundaries between art and history, where two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms function as canvases for historical inquiry and networks for narratives. Her practice is elastic and punctuated by a vested interest in utilizing documentary media as a mechanism for provoking new discourse. Her work is inspired by the politics of memory, the art of storytelling, and the applications of found footage.

Her artworks are distinguished by a distinct style of abstract figurative expressionism, have been presented internationally, and are held in private and public collections in Canada and abroad; her films and collected oral testimonies encourage public engagement, and are held in international archival depositories. Her creative and professional interests lie in enabling stimulating platforms that bring individual and public awareness into closer proximity with new forms of knowledge. Her studio is located in Toronto, Canada.

Education

Graduate Independent Study in Public Art (2009)

Dutch Art Institute, the Netherlands

Diploma in Ancient Florentine Painting Techniques (2009)

Accademia D’Arte Firenze, Italy

Diploma in Visual Arts Foundation Studies (2003)

Department of Fine Arts, McMaster University, Canada

Master of Arts Degree (2002)

Department of History, University of Toronto, Canada

Honours Bachelor of Arts (2000)

Department of Slavic Languages and Literature, University of Toronto, Canada

Diploma in Polish Language and Literature (1999)

Department of European Languages and Literature, Catholic University of Lublin, Poland

Residencies

Upernavik Museum, Greenland (2011)
Ventspils International Writers’ House, Latvia (2010)
Ekemel European Translation Centre for Literature, Greece (2009)
Egon Schiele Art Centrum, Czech Republic (2008)

Awards

Dutch Ministry of Education Award, The Netherlands (2009)
European Union Culture Fund Grant, EU (2008)
Hillebrand Winery Canadian Artists’ Series Prize, Canada (2008)
Canadian Ministry of Colleges, Universities, and Training Grant, Canada (2007)
Canada-Ukraine Fund Visual Arts Bursary, Canada (2007)
Rakoczi Foundation Education Award, Canada (2006)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Cultural Personalities Abroad Award, Canada (2006)
Archives Canada Bursary, Canada (2005)
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library Award, Canada (2005)
McMaster University Visual Arts Award, Canada (2003)
World Federation of Hungarians in Education Award, Hungary (2002)
University of Toronto Academic Achievement Award, Canada (2002)