Jonathan Tang (b. 1996) was born and raised in the multicultural city of Toronto, Canada. Initially trained as a classical guitarist, he later transitioned to oil painting. His practice is informed by ongoing inquiries into psychoanalysis, language, and systems of meaning, which shape both the form and sensibility of his work.

Deeply influenced by his upbringing, Jonathan’s paintings reveal both an acceptance and a quiet critique of contemporary life, while reflecting a reverence for the natural world. Blurring the line between the particular and the universal, his images open up a space for projection—where memory, emotion, and significance emerge through the act of looking.

Working from observation as a point of departure, he merges the grammar of representation with intuitive mark-making, in pursuit of a visual language attuned to impermanence, connection, and the ambiguities of being.

Jonathan currently works out of his home studio in the Greater Toronto Area.

Education

2018 Bachelors of Music Therapy, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON.

Selected Exhibitions

2024 Fourth Annual Juried Show of Visual Arts, Art Gallery of Mississauga, Mississauga, ON.
All You Can Eat, Northern Contemporary, Toronto, ON.
2022 National Open Juried Exhibition, Providence Art Club, Providence, RI.
2020 16th Annual Small Works Exhibition, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH.
2019 4x4… and a Little More, Hashtag Gallery, Toronto, ON.
Salon of Inclusiveness, Black Cat Artspace, Toronto, ON.
5 by 7 Show, Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild. Woodstock, NY.

Art Fairs

2025 Artist Project, Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON.

Residencies, Awards, and Recognition

2025 Jackson’s Art Prize (Longlist), London, UK.
2024 NG Creative Art Residency, Maussane-les-Alpilles, France.
2023 Blue Cactus Art Residency, Sant Quinti de Mediona, Spain.

Teaching

2023 Fundamentals of Landscape Painting, Button Factory Arts, Kitchener, ON.
Fundamentals of Landscape Painting Workshop, Homer Watson Gallery & House, Kitchener, ON.
2022 Fundamentals of Landscape Painting Workshop, Homer Watson Gallery & House, Kitchener, ON.

Daydream, oil on linen, 16 x 20 in., 2025.
Neighbour, oil on linen, 24 x 20 in., 2025.
I'm excited to announce that I'll be showing at @artistprojectto from May 8th - 11th! Hope to see you there 🖼️🫵 Dog Walker, oil on linen, 22 x 20 in., 2025.
Adrift, oil on linen, 20 x 30 in., 2025.
The final painting from my time in France @ngartcreativeresidency this past summer. The study was painted during one of the last few afternoons — a bittersweet moment of working while preparing to say goodbye (for now) to new friends and the la
I painted a good number of golden hour scenes here in NY over the past two months, and the fleeting light brings me back to childhood memories — the sleepy warmth after being driven home from school or the energetic craze that somehow lingers e
This past summer, I had the opportunity to paint for a couple days in Paris, at the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was so neat to paint where Sargent, Van Gogh, and many other historical painters made their paintings 👨‍🎨 Swipe ➡️ for a detail shot (a
Returned from England not too long ago and wanted to share two of my favourite sketches. While being on holiday/vacation was an excuse to sleep in, it was also a chance to unwind and paint freely - I think these paintings reflect how easygoing that t