Hayley Axelrad
Biography
Hayley Axelrad is a Toronto-based painter whose irreverent style connects deeply with nostalgia, merging bold, figurative elements with a highly refined training in realist painting. Her works balance humor and sentimentality, using vibrant colors and striking compositions to explore themes of identity, memory, and contemporary culture. Her distinct visual language has made her a favorite among collectors in Los Angeles. Axelrad studied History of Art at McGill University (2013–2017) before attending the Academy of Realist Art, Toronto (2021-2023). Axelrad has exhibited widely across North America, with solo exhibitions including Fresh Cut Flowers in Each Room at She Said Gallery, Toronto (2023). She is currently exhibiting in the Annual LA Group Show for the Lobster Club (2025.) Other group exhibitions include No Man’s Land with Tacit Collective x Cry Baby Gallery, Toronto (2024), Winter Parade at Gagne Contemporary, Toronto (2024.) She has participated in fairs such as Scope Miami (2024) and The Artist Project, Toronto (2024) and was an artist-in-residence at Soho House Toronto (2024).