“I am Demure – mindful after a bath,” Anu Kalra, 2024, Acrylics.
Anu Kalra. She is an icon! She is a legend! She is the moment!
We’re thrilled to introduce you to Anu Kalra, whose dazzling piece It’s Selfie Time – She is an icon! She is a legend! She is the moment! is now part of the City of Toronto’s permanent art collection through the Mayor’s Purchase Award. This award has existed for 51 years, celebrating art that captures the heart, soul, and spirit of Toronto.
Anu’s paintings brim with joy, playfully mixing history and modernity— iPhone selfies against the Toronto skyline meet the rich tradition of Indian miniature painting. Her paintings invite us to think about how our histories carry forward with us as we interact with the rhythms of an ever-evolving city — making it a meaningful addition to Toronto’s permanent art collection.
Don’t forget, you can bring her art and more into your own space. This month alone, we’ve had over $3,000 in online art sales. Keep the love coming!
Enjoy Anu’s work, and feel the Autumn Shift.
P.S. Check out Autumn Shift, a cozy Curated Collection put together by the TOAF team.
P.P.S. We’re still buzzing from the memories of this summer’s Art Nest and the spectacular, thoughtful, and ambitious public art works we showcased. Great news! TOAF’s Art Nest Call for Proposals is now open! This year’s theme, inspired by TOAF’s 65th birthday, explores legacy and life’s milestones. It’s going to be a special one. 🧡
Meet Anu
“My journey back to painting began unexpectedly. After years working as a graphic designer, life pulled me away from my art. I always said, ‘one day I’ll return.’ That day came Christmas 2013, when my daughter placed canvases and paints in front of me, setting a time for us to paint together. Though it felt inconvenient at first, that small but mighty gesture reignited a spark I thought was lost. With encouragement from my family and the art community, I held my first exhibition in 2014 and I haven’t looked back.
Over the past decade, I have fully dedicated myself to painting, establishing a practice that blends intricate craftsmanship with contemporary themes. I have exhibited widely, including TOAF 2019–2025, Artist Project 2024–2025, Art in the Square 2022-2025 and Richmond Hill Studio Tours, and I am honoured to have received the Honourable Mention Painting Award at TOAF 2023 and the Mayor’s Purchase Award at TOAF 2025.
I hold a BFA in Graphic Design from The College of Art, Delhi, and studied at George Brown College in Toronto. I believe art is an act of love. The gentle, steadfast work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light, offering connection, reflection, and joy.”
Hear From Judge Tara Chadwick
“With an eye to the future, while firmly rooted in heritage and culture, Anu Kalra provides us with a heartful glimpse into the daily life of our City of Toronto today. Anu Kalra demonstrates excellence, innovation and originality as she merges architectural elements of Toronto’s rich history into the vibrant tapestry of contemporary traditions that is becoming our future.
We are excited to add “It’s Selfie Time – She is an icon! She is a legend! She is the moment!” into the City of Toronto Art Collection.”
— Tara Chadwick, Chief Curator, City of Toronto
On Receiving the Mayor’s Purchase Award
“Showing my work at TOAF has been an incredible opportunity to connect with audiences and be part of a vibrant creative community. I am deeply grateful to the dedicated TOAF team and foundations, City of Toronto, and to everyone who supports the arts. It is their passion that makes this platform so special. Receiving the award is both an honour and a source of encouragement, affirming my practice and I am excited to continue building on the momentum of recent shows and awards.”
Get to know Anu!
Matcha, tea or coffee?
Always powered by the traditional chai for creativity and long painting hours.
What is your definition of success?
When my work creates a spark of recognition, curiosity, or wonder in someone else and when it feels true to my own journey.
If you could have dinner with any artist (living or historical), who would it be? And what would you be serving?
Dinner with Frida Kahlo would be unforgettable. I’d cook up a Mexican-Indian feast: butter chicken enchiladas, masala-spiced churros, and a side of tequila chai. Bold, colourful, and unapologetically full of life- just like her. A celebration of two cultures, rich in spice, colour, and storytelling. Everyone knows her story, but I’d hope to discover something about her art and unapologetic life that no one else has heard before.
Curated Collection
Autumn Shift
Curated by the TOAF Team
Left to right: Growing to Death, Ashley Gringhuis, 2024, Oil paint on canvas; Maya (Limited Edition), Michael Bedford, 2020, Archival inkjet print.
Art Nest Call for Proposals
Deadline: November 10th, 2025, 11:59pm ET
Event Date: July 2026, Nathan Phillips Square
As Toronto Outdoor Art Fair celebrates its 65th anniversary, Art Nest 2026 invites artists to reflect on what it means to reach this milestone—both for an organization and in the human life cycle. Age 65 is often associated with retirement, closure, or transition, yet it can also signal renewal, clarity, and the freedom to create on one’s own terms.
We are seeking proposals for public artworks that explore the intersections of creativity and aging: the shifting values of legacy, purpose, and intergenerational exchange; the challenges of health, identity, and relevance; and the possibility of imagining “an artist’s retirement.”
