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Biography

Music and visual arts have shaped and dominated her life. She received her Master of Art degree in her native Poland. She was a soloist at the Polish National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Warsaw, won many operatic competitions including The International Operatic Competition Francisco J. Viñas in Barcelona Spain. Shortly after arriving in Canada, she won competition to join the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio.

Music was not the only way she tried to express herself, throughout the course of her Masters, she extensively studied the History of Art, drew and painted.

After moving to King City, almost 23 years ago, she began drawing butterflies, and continued drawing them ever since. Her studies are in private collections in Australia, British Virgin Islands, Canada, England, Holland, Poland, Sweden and the U.S.
In 2001 she become the curator of the private Gallery Solo in King City, and organized exhibitions of prominent Canadian Artists, some honored by the Order of Canada. Under her leadership the gallery organized exhibits of: tapestry, paintings, photography, and sculptures.

In the last five years she had nine solo exhibits, and seven group shows in Canada.

For thirty-five years she has been a member of Canadian Actors Equity Association, and The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. G. Tonkiel was on the board of Directors of the Arts Society King, as well as the Schomberg Street Gallery Committee, and was the President of the Arts Society King.

She is dedicated to the butterfly conservation efforts, frequently writes articles about butterflies for the King Weekly Sentinel and is a sought-after lecturer and speaker about butterflies. She is a member of Toronto Entomologists Association. Since 2017, her home garden has been certified as the Wildlife and Butterfly Habitat.

G. Tonkiel often donates her work to support conservation efforts.

 





Artistic Credo

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Nature is my Master

On any day, in any weather condition, in every season, Nature can enchant you delivering a work of art, a demonstration of perfection. To capture the essence of beauty, of something so fragile and at the same time immortal like the Butterfly, is my lifelong quest. My Portraits of Butterflies are a blend of nature and art through my action. I try to be their voice in figurative expression and also literally deliver presentations about their existence. They have been on this planet for millions of years, however, due to the destruction of their habitat - will they remain to enchant the next generations of humans?
That is the question.

 





Forthcoming & Recent Exibitions

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Exibitions


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Grazyna Tonkiel - dramatic soprano

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Grazyna Tonkiel on stage of The Grand Theatre National Opera, Warsaw, Poland.

Grazyna Tonkiel Soprano
“It was in the Early Spring” by P. Tchaikovsky Op. 38 No. 2 lyrics by A.Tolstoy
Pianist: professor Ella Susmanek, Chopin Academy in Warsaw Poland



Grazyna Tonkiel Soprano
"Lilacs" by S. Rachmaninoff ‒ Op. 21 No. 5
Pianist: professor Ella Susmanek, Chopin Academy in Warsaw Poland



Grazyna Tonkiel Soprano
"Spring Waters" by S. Rachmaninoff Op. 14 No. 11
Pianist: professor Ella Susmanek, Chopin Academy in Warsaw Poland

Gallery Solo

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Grazyna Tonkiel

Gallery Solo
42 Manitou Drive
King City, Ontario
L7B 1E7
905-833-6001
email: gt@gtonkiel.com
email: gtonkiel@gmail.com


Gallery Solo is open to the public by appointment.