Toronto-based visual artist Elizabeth Greisman presents a new body of work featuring oil portraits on paper inspired by characters from productions directed by Sir Tyrone Guthrie during the founding years of the Stratford Festival of Canada, from 1953 to 1957. Guthrie served as the Festival’s first Artistic Director, shaping its earliest creative vision.
Working from archival material and historical theatrical sketches, including references to Grant MacDonald’s drawings and paintings, Greisman creates imagined portraits that interpret character rather than actor. Faces are not based on specific performers but are expressive constructions shaped by the role itself. Influences include Shelley Adler, Alice Neel, Kehinde Wiley, and Hopare.
Painted rapidly and directly from historical photographs, the works focus on the visual details of early Stratford productions, including period costumes, makeup, hair, jewelry, and accessories. The series is informed by extensive research into the principal characters of Shakespearean plays staged during the Festival’s first three seasons. Coincidentally, the selection of plays mirrors those produced by the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia during its 2023 season.
“I’m interested in working quickly and intuitively, allowing research and instinct to meet on the page,” says Greisman. “The goal is not likeness, but capturing the energy and presence of a character as it might have lived on stage.”
ABOUT Elizabeth Greisman
Elizabeth Greisman’s practice spans painting, drawing, and portraiture, with a sustained focus on theatre, dance, opera, and the performing arts. Her work explores character, movement, and visual storytelling through expressive, research-driven approaches rooted in archival theatre materials and performance history. By working from historical sources rather than direct representation, she creates imagined portraits that capture the emotional resonance, physicality, and enduring spirit of performance across time.
Greisman holds a BFA in Visual Arts with Honours and a BA in Education from York University, with additional training at the Laban School of Dance (Trinity Laban Conservatoire), Central Saint Martins, and Toronto Metropolitan University. She has participated in numerous international artist residencies, including The Banff Centre, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre (Ireland), Centre Culturel Irlandais (Paris), CAMAC (France), and Arts Letters and Numbers (New York).
Her work has been exhibited widely in Canada, Europe, the United States, and South America, with recent collaborations and residencies connected to the Paris Opera Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the American Shakespeare Center. Alongside her studio practice, Greisman is an educator, curator, and co-director of The Nascent Art Science Collective.
Elizabeth Greisman is represented by Propeller Art Gallery and Gallery 1313, and is a member of the Women’s Art Association of Canada and the Arts and Letters Club.
