CV

Education

2017 MFA, Visual Art, York University, Toronto, Canada  

2010 M.Arch, Architecture, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

2007 B.Sc(Arch), Architecture, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

2006 Exchange during B.Sc(Arch), Institut Supérieur d’Architecture Saint-Luc de Bruxelles, Belgium

Solo Exhibitions

2023 The hole fits the worm, but only as it moves, the plumb, Toronto (two-person with Emily DiCarlo, curated by Justine Kohleal)

2020 Lithic Innards, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario (curated by Hannah Keating)

2018 A crack into a world, oozing from a tunnel, 401 Richmond, Toronto

2017 Passage No. 170424, Angell Gallery, Toronto (curated by Bill Clarke)

2017 felt/felt, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Gales Gallery, York University, Toronto

Selected Group Exhibitions

2025 Drawpile, Galerie And, Berlin, Germany (curated by Clara Gross and Ian Jehle)

2024 All Together Now, Artscape Youngplace, Toronto (curated by Lyla Rye)

2023 Public Intervention with Sound, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Berlin, Germany

2022 Studio Faire Open Studio Exhibition, Studio Faire, Nérac, France

2022 NARS Virtual Benefit, NARS Foundation, New York (online)

2021 I Love You, Don’t Touch Me, 1 Pheasant Run, Great Neck NY (online)

2021 The Empty Gallery, Shrine Virtual Gallery, New York (online)

2020 NARS Virtual Benefit, NARS Foundation, New York (online)

2020 On Repetition and Depth, NARS Virtual Gallery, New York (online, curated by Elisa Gutiérrez)

2020 Source Matters, NARS Foundation, New York (curated by Elisa Gutiérrez)

2019 Cuties Who Are Nice, Kontort, Toronto (curated by Magenta Foundation Curatorial Incubator)

2018 Fibreworks 2018, Idea Exchange, Cambridge, Ontario

2018 Brick, Brink and a Space in Between, Nuit Blanche, 401 Richmond, Toronto

2018 Ouroboros, Saint Anne’s Anglican Church, Toronto

2018 The ratio of an earthworm, 14 Randolph, Toronto (curated by Larissa Tiggelers + Patrick Cruz)

2018 Carry-on Santandar, Impact Conference, Santandar, Spain (curated by Barbara Balfour)

2017 Outside the Lines, Eleanor Winters Gallery, York University, Toronto

2017 Things Little, Gallery 50, Toronto (curated by Vanessa Nicholas)

2016 Peinture Fraîche et Nouvelle Construction, Art Mûr, Montreal 

2016 Art@Suite 500, Schulich School of Business, Toronto Dominion Centre, Toronto

2016 After great pain, a formal feeling comes, Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) in partnership with Gales Gallery, Toronto (curated by Megan Toye, won 2017 Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) Award for Best First Exhibtion in a Public Gallery)

2015 Parley, Gales Gallery, York University, Toronto

2015 Blickpunkt / Viewpoint, Kunstraum Tapir, Berlin (curated by Isolde Krams)

Artist Residencies

2022 Artist in Residence, Studio Faire, Nérac, France

2020 Artist in Residence, NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY, USA

2019 Artist in Residence, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, ON, Canada

2017-18 Artist in Residence, 401 Richmond, Toronto, Canada

2015 Artist in Residence, Takt Kunstprojektraum, Berlin, Germany

2013 Artist in Residence, We Are Full of Holes with Luis Jacob, Artscape Gibraltar, Toronto, Canada

2013 Artist in Residence, Sculpture and Installation, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, USA

Grants and Awards

2023 Canada Council for the Arts, Explore and Create - Research and Creation (Group)

2020 Canada Council for the Arts, Explore and Create - Research and Creation

2020 Ontario Arts Council, Visual Artist Creation Project (Emerging)

2019 Toronto Arts Council, Visual Artist Grant (Emerging)

2019 Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Abroad - Residencies

2019 RBC Foundation, Emerging Artist Residency, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

2017 401 Richmond Career Launcher Prize

2017 Toronto Arts Council, Visual Artist Grant (Emerging)

2016 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canada Graduate Scholarship

Selected Talks

2025 Gallery Talk, Ellen Bleiwas on Architecture in Tracey Snelling’s Intergalactic Planetary, Koffler Arts, Toronto

2023 Artist Talk, Ellen Bleiwas and Emily DiCarlo in conversation, the plumb, Toronto

2021 Artist Talk, I Love You, Don’t Touch Me, Discussion between co-exhibiting artists, Online

2021 Panelist, Pandemic Paces, dis assembly: a neurodiverse arts co-lab, Online

2020 Panelist, Career Launcher Prize Panel Discussion, 401 Richmond, Online

2020 Artist Talk, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa

2019 Artist Talk, Magenta Foundation Curatorial Incubator, Toronto

2019 Artist Talk, York University, Drawing Department, Toronto

2018 Artist Talk, Ouroboros, St. Anne’s Anglican Church, Toronto

2018 Artist Talk, Career Launcher Award: End of Residency, 401 Richmond, Toronto

2017 Artist Talk, Ellen Bleiwas in conversation with Bill Clarke, Angell Gallery, Toronto

2016 Artist Talk, Seneca College, Illustration Department, Toronto

2015 Artist Talk, York University, Sculpture Department, Toronto

2009 Presenter, Outside in the City Together, No Matter What the Weather, TEDx McGill, Montreal

Selected Bibliography

Rashana Youtzy, “the hole fits the worm, but only as it moves at the plumb”, Artoronto, December 2023 (Review) (PDF)

Emily DiCarlo, “We imitate sleep to dream of dissent”, FADO Performance Art Center, Toronto, 2023 (Artist Book) (Available at Art Metropole)

Alice Wexler, “dis assembly: Collaborative Rituals with an Autistic Artist”, Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education, Vol. 39, 2022, pg. 12-29 (Peer-Reviewed Article)

Sam Mogelonsky, “Artists on Artists”, CANVAS Compendium, September 2021 (Essay)

Laura Hudspith, “Ellen Bleiwas”, Quarantonics: Artist spots for the socially distanced, March 28 2020 (Profile)

“Plastic Attic Visits: Ellen Bleiwas”, Plastic Attic, February 2020 (Video Interview)

“RBC Artist Incubator Lab”, The RMG Art News, Fall 2019, pg. 18-19 (Artist Profile)

Claire Scherzinger, “Ellen Bleiwas”, Overly Dedicated Podcast, February 19 2019 (Podcast Interview)

Terence Dick, “Ouroboros at St. Anne’s Anglican Church”, Akimbo, October 2018 (Review)

Emily Austin, “Ellen Bleiwas: Passage No. 170424 at Angell Gallery”, Artoronto, October 2017 (Review)

Selected Teaching

2018-current Artist Mentor, dis assembly, Toronto

2025-current Teaching Artist, Unrestricted Interest, Minneapolis

2025 Instructor, Spacescapes: workshops in connection with Tracey Snelling’s exhibition “Intergalactic Planetary”. Workshops at Bellwoods Centre, Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre, Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club, and West Neighbourhood House. Koffler Arts, Toronto

2018-19 Instructor, Body Sculpture with Industrial Felt, Contemporary Textile Studio, Toronto

2017 Senior Record of Completion Certificate: Professional Development in Teaching, York University, Toronto

2017 Instructor, Mould Making(VISA2033), York University, Toronto

2016 Teaching Assistant, Critical Issues in the Studio (VISA1000), York University, Toronto

2015 Graduate Assistant, Installation Art (VISA4090), York University, Toronto

2011 Visiting Instructor, Art and Design Studio Foundations, China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing

2009 Teaching Assistant, Mixed Media Drawing, McGill University, School of Architecture, Montreal

2009 Teaching Assistant, Mechanical Engineering Drawing Module, McGill University, Montreal

Selected Architecture + Design

2013-15 Architectural Designer, Design Workshop Architects, Toronto

2011-13 2nd Assistant Art Director (Set Design), Directors Guild of Canada, Ontario

2011 Architectural Intern, Shigeru Ban Architects, Tokyo

2010 Architectural Designer, Paul Raff Studio Incorporated Architect, Toronto

2007-08 Junior Architectural Designer, Paul Raff Studio Incorporated Architect, Toronto

2007 Architectural Intern, Proje Mimarlik, Istanbul