Collection of Works by Natalia Tcherniak
Who's Your Self-ie - May 15 - June 30 2026 John B. Aird Gallery Arts&Letters Club + online
Who's Your Self-ie?
Online exhibition + one-day in-person exhibition & awards ceremony invites artists to turn the lens inward and explore the many dimensions of identity and self-expression. In an era shaped by the selfie and evolving forms of portraiture, this call encourages photographers to reflect on how they represent themselves through the medium of photography—whether through historical processes or contemporary digital techniques. The selected works will highlight the many ways image-making can reveal, question, and communicate the self. Presented by the Aird Gallery as part of the CONTACT Photography Festival, this juried exhibition includes two opportunities: a virtual exhibition and a one-night-only in-person showcase with an awards reception.
Noted
There is play on "value" and "worthiness" in there: a self-portrait, in my fancy glasses, new hair, and a fur coat, but it's a bus selfie on my shitty phone, it's an alternative process photography and an homage to Andy Warhol, but it's on post-it notes! A lot of back and forth. I wanted to apply alternative process to something that is already colourful: to paint with photography rather with colours. I’ve chosen the most mundane and everyday colourful object, adhesive notepad, which on itself is not meant to be permanent or valuable, yet serve committing to memory something important. Cyanotype for me is the most versatile of all alternative processes, something you can “paint” almost any object with, and create a new relationship between photography and its substrate. My image “Noted” is a play on pops of colour in the everyday, bringing an almost PopArt quality to the portrait, yet reducing it the realm of short-term memory, along with shopping lists and small reminders.
Past
Calendar Event - Colour - March 31 2026 AlternativePhotography. online
Colour
As many alternative photographic processes are traditionally monochrome, this theme invites artists to explore ways of introducing colour into their work, such as toning, hand colouring, layering prints, using duo- or tri-tones, or developing new approaches. After the event, a Calendar – and possibly a Journal and Book – will be produced featuring the selected winners.
Noted
When I first started thinking about the theme “colour” and “colouring”, I thought maybe it would be interesting to ”reverse the challenge” and apply alternative process to something that is already colourful: to paint with photography rather with colours. I’ve chosen the most mundane and everyday colourful object, adhesive notepad, which on itself is not meant to be permanent or valuable, yet serve committing to memory something important. Cyanotype for me is the most versatile of all alternative processes, something you can “paint” almost any object with, and create a new relationship between photography and its substrate. My image “Noted” is a play on pops of colour in the everyday, bringing an almost PopArt quality to the portrait, yet reducing it the realm of short-term memory, along with shopping lists and small reminders.
reFRESH - January 7 - 18 2026 Gallery 1313. Toronto
reFRESH
No particular theme. Looking for new contemporary works in a variety of media to start the new year. Curated by Phil Anderson
MangaLife
"MangaLife” project started three years ago as a very personal and private visual journal, mostly prompted by therapy session and emotional turmoil. I never anticipated it to be seen by the public, and yet, have had intended to turn it into books. The medium of line drawings (and rubber stamps) is something I’ve enjoyed, but never perfected, manga and comic books is something I’ve never grown up with, but always admired, so I’ve ventured into an unfamiliar but enticing territory for me. I wanted to make something that is personal, and yet completely outside of me – flimsy and vulnerable, exposed and interactive. All the scanned pages can be found here