Born: Kuala Lumpur, MY
Lives and Works: Toronto, CA
Education
2015
Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario - Master of Fine Art
2001
Grenfell College, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Corner Brook, Newfoundland - Bachelor of Fine Art
Solo Exhibitions
2018
LUH!, Birch Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario
2017
Cast/Off, Bonavista Biennale, Elliston, Newfoundland
Extra Baggage, Artspace Contemporary Art Projects, Peterborough, Ontario
2016
FABRICating Identity, The New Gallery (TNG), Calgary, Alberta
2015
Sea Change: Artworks from the Perspective of a Transracial Adoptee, OCADU Graduate Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2002
Skin, RCA Visual Gallery, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Two / Three Person Exhibitions
2016
Unmasking Otherness and Red Ochre: Mekwisiqwan, Grenfell Campus Art Gallery, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
2003
She Ought to have Wondered, Raw, and Identity Issues In Transracial Adoptees, Eastern Edge Gallery, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
2000
Artifactual Artifices, Arts and Culture Centre, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
Group Exhibitions
2022
Contextile 2022 - Contemporary Textile Art Biennial, Guimarães, Portugal
Fibreworks Biennial, Cambridge Art Galleries, Cambridge, Ontario
2019 - 20
Wild, Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, Ontario
2019
1989-2019, Birch Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario
2017
Into You: Fall in Deep, Humber Gallery North Space, Toronto, Ontario
Into You: On the Edge, Humber Gallery L Space, Toronto, Ontario
Blood Ties, Xpace Cultural Centre, Toronto, Ontario
2016
OTHER WORLDS, Lieutenant Governor’s Suite at Queens Park, Toronto, Ontario
Are We There Yet?, Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts, Toronto, Ontario
2015
GradEx, OCAD University's 100th Graduate Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2014
Done Being Wrong, Brockton Collective, Toronto, Ontario
2013
What Are You MADE OF?, OCADU Graduate Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2012
The Original Square Foot Annual Art Exhibition, AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2005
Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Exhibition, Arts and Culture Center, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Stills, First Space Gallery, QE II Library, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Radius 250, Art Space Gallery, Richmond, Virginia
2004
10th Royal Renegade Recycled Art Show, Eastern Edge Gallery, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
2003
Saints, Sleeveens, and One-Armed Surgeons, Struts Gallery, Sackville, New Brunswick
2001
Four on the Floor, Eastern Edge Gallery, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
6 12 2 16, Graduate Show, Sir Wilfred Grenfell Art Gallery, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
Art Fairs
2021
Papier, Montreal, Quebec
2019
Philadelphia Fine Art Fair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Art Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Awards / Grants /Residencies
2022
Travel Grant to Professionals in the Visual Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto, ON, Canada
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
2021
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
Research and Creation Grant, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto, Ontario
2020
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
2019
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto, Ontario
Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
2018
Artist in Residence, Eastern Edge Gallery, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
2017
Honourable Mention Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award, Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, Ontario
2016
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto, Ontario
Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
Travel Grant to Professionals in the Visual Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto, Ontario
Sponsored Artist Membership Program, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2015
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto, Ontario
Medal Winner, Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art Media and Design, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario
President Graduate Award, Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media, and Design, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario
2014
Artist in Residence, 2 Rooms Contemporary Art Projects, Duntara, Newfoundland and Labrador
2013-15
Graduate Entrance Scholarship, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario
2004
Alumni Residency. Grenfell Campus Printshop, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
Project Grant to Visual Artist, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, Newfoundland and Labrador
2003
Purchase Award Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Art Procurement Program, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Newfoundland and Labrador
2000
Purchase Award Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Art Procurement Program, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Newfoundland and Labrador
Visiting Artist Lectures / Participated Events
2022
Shifting Ground: A Making and Thinking Symposium, Material and The Immaterial, Co-presented by Harbourfront Centre and Craft Ontario, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Ontario
2020
Craft Futures Panel Discussion, Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, Ontario
Artist Talk, Material Art & Design Thesis Class, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Ontario
Artist Talk, Career Development Centre For Emerging Artist & Designers, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario
2018
Artist Talk, Undergraduate Experimental Learning Course, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario
Artist Talk, Eastern Edge Gallery, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Artist Talk, Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, Ontario
2017
Artist Talk, Xpace Cultural Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Artist Talk, Artspace Contemporary Art Projects, Peterborough, Ontario
2002
Artist Talk, Labrador Creative Arts Festival, Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Linocut Printmaking Workshop, Makkovik, Newfoundland and Labrador
Professional Affiliations / Boards / Juries
2022
Juror, Toronto Arts Council, Visual Artist Program, Toronto, Ontario
Juror, Exhibition Programming for Union House Arts, Port Union, Newfoundland and Labrador
2021 - 22
Juror, Canada Council for the Arts, Visual Arts Program, Project Grants (Concept to Realization) Toronto, Ontario
2018
Juror, Melissa Levin Emerging Artist Award, Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto, Ontario
2015
Admissions Committee for Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media, and Design (student representative), Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario
Publications / Media
Editors, Studio. “Omar Badrin,” November 1, 2020. https://www.studiomagazine.ca/ articles/2020/11/omar-badrin.
Pencil, Broken. “Broken Pencil Magazine,” February 18, 2020. https://brokenpencil.com/ news/folio-keeping-out-by-omar-badrin/.
Dick, Terence. “Wild at the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto,” February 6, 2020. https:// akimbo.ca/akimblog/wild-at-the-textile-museum-of-canada-toronto/.
Swinkels, Dorothé. “Omar Badrin Verbeeldt Gevoelens Van Anders Zijn in Gehaakte Maskers ⋆ TxP (Textiel Plus).” TxP (Textiel Plus), December 17, 2018. https:// www.textielplus.nl/artikelen/omar-badrin-verbeeldt-gevoelens-van-anders-zijn-in- gehaakte-maskers/.
Toronto, Now. “Textile Museum Profile: Omar Badrin.” NOW Magazine, May 4, 2018. https://nowtoronto.com/textilemuseumofcanada/textile-museum-profile-omar- badrin/.
Hampton, Chris. “Growing up, Omar Badrin 'Wore a Mask' to Protect against Racist Bullies. Now He's Made It His Art | CBC Arts.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, March 27, 2018. https://www.cbc.ca/arts/growing-up-omar-badrin-wore-a-mask-to-protect- against-racist-bullies-now-he-s-made-it-his-art-1.4595184.
An Artist's Grotesque Portraits of Life as an Outsider. Video. VICE, 2018. https:// video.vice.com/en_ca/video/an-artists-grotesque-portraits-of-life-as-an- outsider/5a55457d177dd4785659fb05?latest=1.Sandals, Leah. “The World's Newest Biennale, in Outport Newfoundland.” Canadian Art, August 23, 2017. https://canadianart.ca/features/bonavista-biennale/
Carr-Harris, Ian. “Omar Badrin’s Masks”. Exhibition essay for The New Gallery (TNG), February 19 - March 25, 2016.
Instudio. “Unmasking Omar Badrin.” IDEAS, OCAD University, August 30, 2017. https:// www2.ocadu.ca/feature/unmasking-omar-badrin.
Moore, Lisa. “Skin.” Arts Atlantic, no. 70 (2002): 50.
Gallery Affiliations
Birch Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario, Canada