Jonathan Palter Artist
Born in Toronto, Jonathan Palter’s creative journey began in sculpture. Using traditional tools such as hammers, chisels, and files, he transformed raw stone into imaginative, commanding forms. His early work demonstrated a deep sensitivity to material, form, and physicality—qualities that continue to shape his artistic practice today. After taking time away from the studio to raise his family, Palter returned to his artistic practice in the 2000s with a renewed passion and vision. Merging his sculptural instincts with painting, he began to create expressive, textured oil works using only palette knives. These gestural pieces, often described as sculptural and expressionistic, feature thick, multi-coloured layers of oil paint, saturated with movement and light, that invite viewers into a rich world of emotion, memory, and imagination.
Palter’s work is a reflection of his feelings, experiences and hopes. Palter states, “ Art has the power to moves us - beyond the obvious into a space where emotion and insight meet.” “The first pleasure is in creating my art,” he says, “and then in the enjoyment, connections, questions and emotions it brings to those experiencing it.”
Inspired by both the intricate beauty of nature and the bold lines of architecture, Palter draws much of his creative energy from his extensive world travels. From the raw beauty of Arctic and Greenland, to the vibrant colours and cultures of Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, and New Zealand, each journey adds a new layer to his evolving visual language.
“Empty canvases metamorphose spontaneously into emotional and passionate paintings,” he notes. “Abstract painting is a channel to explore one’s imagination and gain greater awareness—not just of the physical world, but of the endless possibilities we all hold within.”
Today, he continues to push the boundaries of visual expression, creating work that is both intimate and expansive.
Galleries
Helloart
Partial Gallery
Saatchi Art
Singulart
Solo Exhibition
2024 Colliers International: Toronto
2023 Crown Building: Toronto
1985 Bello Gallery: Toronto
1978 Two-Man Exhibition, Shayne Gallery: Montreal
Group Exhibitions
2021 Salon 15, Propeller Art Gallery
2020 National Juried Exhibition, Federation of Canadian Artists
1985 Del Bello Gallery: Toronto
1984 Del Bello Gallery: Toronto
1982 Aviva Art Exhibition: Toronto
1981 Aviva Art Exhibition: Toronto
Alpha Omega Exhibition: Toronto
1980 Shayne Gallery: Montreal
Pinnacles Gallery: Ottawa
Aviva Art Exhibition: Toronto
Alpha Omega Exhibition: Toronto
1979 Shaw Rimmington Gallery: Toronto
Shayne Gallery: Montreal
1978 Shaw Rimmington Gallery: Toronto,
Shayne Gallery: Montreal
Alpha Omega Exhibition: Toronto
Awards
First prize for Sculpture: Aviva Invitational Art Exhibition: Toronto, 1981
Philanthropy
Jonathan believes in giving back, and has donated his art to help raise funds for many charities including the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto, SickKids: The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health (formerly the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre), Every Mind and Hockey Helps the Homeless.
Media
Cover Story Rosedale Magazine 2021
Featured Arts Interview on national CBC radio: A Conversation with Holly Dressel
Palter’s works are in private and corporate collections in Canada, United Kingdom and the United States of America