Vanessa Maltese

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Vanessa Maltese (b. 1988, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) works in painting and sculpture, referencing familiar patterns and shapes to pose questions about visual and cognitive perception. Specifically, through her research on pareidolia— the psychological phenomenon in which recognizable patterns are identified in unrelated contexts— and klecksography—the process of making images from inkblots— Maltese explores the psychoanalytic connections between pattern recognition and the subconscious. The flatness of her images is meant to challenge the desire for illusion associated with the history of painting, which she playfully acknowledges through the irregular frames she creates.   

Maltese received her BFA from OCAD University in 2010. She is the National Winner of the 2012 RBC Canadian Painting Competition and has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions across North America. Most recently, she has exhibited at Mickey Gallery, Chicago; Night Gallery, Los Angeles; The Power Plant, Toronto; the National Gallery Library and Archives, Ottawa; Carl Louie, London ON; Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York; Greenpoint Terminal Gallery, New York; Art Museum of the University of Toronto, Toronto; Cooper Cole, Toronto; and Erin Stump Projects, Toronto. Her monumental public artwork “subject to change” can be seen at RBC’s Waterpark Place in downtown Toronto. Maltese currently lives and works in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 1

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Desk no. 1, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

30.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
76.83cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

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Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 2

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Desk no. 2, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

31.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
79.37cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

V.Maltese0144

Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 3

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Desk no. 3, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

31.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
79.37cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

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Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 4

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Desk no. 4, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

31.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
79.37cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

V.Maltese0146

Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 5

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Desk no. 5, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

31.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
79.37cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

V.Maltese0147

Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 6

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Desk no. 6, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

31.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
79.37cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

V.Maltese0148

Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 7

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Desk no. 7, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

31.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
79.37cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

V.Maltese0149

Vanessa Maltese

Desk no. 8

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Desk no. 7, 2021

Oil on panel, wood frames

31.25" X 60.87" X 7.25"
79.37cm X 154.61cm X 18.41cm

V.Maltese0150

Vanessa Maltese

Trompe l’oeil device

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Trompe l'oeil device, 2021

Oxidized silver, enamel

Edition of 28 + 2 AP

0.7" X 0.8" X 0.9"
1.78cm X 2.03cm X 2.29cm

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Vanessa Maltese

Floored no. 1

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Floored no. 1, 2020

Patinated bronze, wax

3" X 3.5"
7.62cm X 8.89cm

Vanessa Maltese

Floored no. 2

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Floored no. 2, 2020

Patinated bronze, wax

3.5" X 3.5"
8.89cm X 8.89cm

Vanessa Maltese

Radiating

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Radiating, 2019-2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

51" X 39"
129.54cm X 99.06cm

Vanessa Maltese

Picture making

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Picture making, 2019

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

51" X 48.25"
129.54cm X 122.55cm

Vanessa Maltese

Relating

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Relating, 2019-2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

51" X 39"
129.54cm X 99.06cm

Vanessa Maltese

Things touching are the same distance

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Things touching are the same distance, 2019

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

26" X 20.5"
66.04cm X 52.07cm

Vanessa Maltese

Mistake repetition for accuracy

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Mistake repetition for accuracy, 2019-2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

51" X 39"
129.54cm X 99.06cm

Vanessa Maltese

Connecting

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Connecting, 2019-2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

29.5" X 23.5"
74.93cm X 59.69cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 10

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 10, 2021

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

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Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 9

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 9, 2021

Oil on panel, powder coated steel

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

V.Maltese0152

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 8

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 8, 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 7

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 7 , 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 6

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 6, 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 5

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 5, 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 4

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 4, 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 3

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 3, 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 2

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 2, 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

Hypothesizing coincidence no. 1

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Hypothesizing coincidence no. 1, 2020

Oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, magnets

60.25" X 11.25"
153.03cm X 28.57cm

Vanessa Maltese

How long is a piece of string? (at Night Gallery)

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How long is a piece of string?, 2018

Installation view

Vanessa Maltese

Duped by the grapes

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Duped by the grapes, 2018

oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, acrylic paint, magnets

52" X 41"
132.08cm X 104.14cm

Vanessa Maltese

Meanderings

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Meanderings, 2018

oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, acrylic paint, magnets

52" X 41"
132.08cm X 104.14cm

Vanessa Maltese

Circling the drain

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Circling the drain, 2018

oil on panel, powder coated steel, wood, acrylic paint, magnets

52" X 41"
132.08cm X 104.14cm

Vanessa Maltese

Heading Home

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Heading Home, 2017

Oil on panel, painted wood, steel frame, magnets

" X 64" X 62"
0cm X 162.56cm X 157.48cm

Vanessa Maltese

Decorated Edge

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Decorated Edge, 2017

Oil on panel, painted steel frame

26.5" X 21.75"
67.31cm X 55.24cm

Vanessa Maltese

Object Knowledge

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Object Knowledge, 2017

Oil on panel, painted steel frame

26.5" X 23.75"
67.31cm X 60.32cm

Vanessa Maltese

In Soft Blues

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In Soft Blues, 2017

Oil on panel, painted steel frame

28.5" X 23"
72.39cm X 58.42cm

Vanessa Maltese

Tallyman no. 5

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Tallyman no. 5, 2017

Electrical wire, wood, chalkboard paint

14.75" X 4.25" X 0.75"
37.46cm X 10.79cm X 1.9cm

Vanessa Maltese

Birds flew down to peck at the painted grapes

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Birds flew down to peck at the painted grapes, 2016

Installation view

Vanessa Maltese

The painted grapes

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The painted grapes, 2016

Oil on panel, painted steel

65.5" X 65.5"
166.37cm X 166.37cm

Vanessa Maltese

Capacity for self control

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Capacity for self control, 2016

Oil on panel, painted steel, plastic

65" X 65"
165.1cm X 165.1cm

Vanessa Maltese

Aware of surroundings

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Aware of surroundings, 2016

Oil on panel, painted steel

67" X 67"
170.18cm X 170.18cm

Vanessa Maltese

Passing time

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Passing time, 2016

Oil on panel, painted steel

63" X 63"
160.02cm X 160.02cm

Vanessa Maltese

Company (at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery)

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Company, 2016

Installation view

Vanessa Maltese

subject to change

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subject to change, 2015

Powder coated aluminum

96" X 192"
243.84cm X 487.68cm

Vanessa Maltese

Tally (Swatch No. 1)

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Tally (Swatch No. 1), 2014

Wood, latex and acrylic paint, rubber washers, hardware

35" X 1"
88.9cm X 2.54cm

Vanessa Maltese

Chart No. 26

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Chart - No. 26, 2014

Wood, paper, rubber washers, hardware, chalkboard paint

10" X 3"
25.4cm X 7.62cm

Vanessa Maltese

Chart No. 35

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Chart - No. 35, 2014

Wood, paper, laminate, watercolour paint, rubber washer, hardware, chalkboard paint

10" X 3"
25.4cm X 7.62cm