Meet the Artist
Peyton
Cote
Drawing and Painting
“My work begins from the understanding that land is shaped by layered and ongoing histories, not neutrality. Based in Toronto on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, and maintaining ties to Saskatchewan, I approach painting as a white settler artist with an awareness of the privileges embedded in movement and representation. Working primarily in large-scale oil paintings, I explore landscape as an expression of memory, emotion, and internal experience rather than direct depiction. Through abstraction, layered colour, and gesture, my work captures the atmosphere and feeling of place, reflecting the shifting nature of perception and the complexity of our relationships to land.”
Peyton Cote is currently studying Drawing and Painting at OCAD University in Toronto, Ontario, with an expected graduation in June 2026. She will be part of OCADU’s 111th Graduate Exhibition in May 2026. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions, In 2025, Peyton Cote exhibited in The Way We Draw at the Ada Slaight Gallery, OCADU, Toronto, ON. That same year, she participated in Faces and Traces: A Cross Border Portrait Project at Stackt-North Gallery, Toronto, ON, and at SCENE Metrospace, East Lansing, MI. These exhibitions connected her with artists from the United States, fostering collaborative relationships and producing work that explored cross-border connections during times of conflict. During this period, she was interviewed by CBC News Metro Morning and contributed to curating the Stackt-North Gallery exhibition. Also in 2025, Peyton Cote exhibited in ZZZ at the Ada Slaight Gallery, OCADU, Toronto, ON, as part of a group collective formed during her third year, demonstrating collaboration and shared initiative. She was also included in Size Matters at the Great Hall Gallery, OCADU, Toronto, ON, an exhibition focused on how scale influences the perception of art. From 2024 to 2025, Peyton Cote participated in Awenda Inspired at the Ada Slaight Gallery, OCADU, Toronto, ON. This exhibition involved working directly in natural environments, providing insight into residency-style practices and informing her creative process. In 2024, Peyton Cote took part in a Landscape Exhibition at Gallery 1313, Toronto, ON, curated by Phil Anderson. This marked her first exhibition at an independent gallery in Toronto, expanding her professional network and experience. In 2022, Peyton Cote held a solo exhibition at Bepis Gelato in Saskatoon, SK, where she showcased paintings created following her high school graduation. This experience introduced her to curatorial practices and helped prepare her for entering her BFA program. In addition to exhibitions, Peyton Cote worked as a graphic designer for an embroidered patch used by the Canadian Earth Observation team and has completed several commission-based projects for private clients.
Oil Painting Acrylic Painting Landscape Painting
2026, Presentation of Process
OCAD University 4th Floor Gallery, Toronto, ON
2026, Abstract Act
OCAD University 4th Floor Gallery, Toronto, ON
2025, Size Matters
OCAD University Great Hall Gallery, Toronto, ON
2025, Faces and Traces: A Cross-Border Portrait Project
SCENE Metrospace, East Lansing, MI
2025, ZZZ
OCAD University Ada Slaight Gallery, Toronto, ON
2025, The Way We Draw
OCAD University Ada Slaight Gallery, Toronto, ON
2025, Faces and Traces: A Cross-Border Portrait Project
Stackt Market North Hall Gallery, Toronto, ON
2025, Awenda Inspired
OCAD University Ada Slaight Gallery, Toronto, ON
2024, A Landscape Exhibition
Gallery 1313, Toronto, ON
2024, Awenda Inspired
OCAD University Ada Slaight Gallery, Toronto, ON