BIOGRAPHY

Emilie Fantuz (American/Canadian) is a contemporary painter whose work examines perception through light, reflection, and layered space. Drawing from optical phenomena, she collects streaks of light, reflections, shadows, and the remnants of technological mediation to articulate a way of seeing that resists a singular viewpoint.

Characterized by complex shifts in light, Fantuz employs a modified alla prima approach to construct her compositions. Using a palette knife to fuse disparate layers of light and shadow into a unified, tangible surface, she positions painting as a site of slow, embodied observation. This direct method of application anchors the fleeting "optical debris" of her environments, transforming transient reflections into a permanent, material presence.

A 2026 MFA candidate at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Fantuz is the incoming Artist-in-Residence at Terra Nova National Park. Her work is supported by Canada Council for the Arts and has been exhibited at Art Toronto, Christina Parker Gallery, and Revelstoke Public Art Gallery. Her paintings are held in collections including Henry Ford Hospital, Stewart McKelvey, Bucci Developments, and the Bank of Ann Arbor.

Emilie Fantuz lives and works in Vancouver, Canada.