Pnina Granirer
Figurative & Symbolist Artist
Exploring memory, identity, and mythology through six decades of expressive art.
Pnina Granirer
Pnina Granirer Artwork and Legacy
Pnina Granirer artwork spans more than six decades of expressive and symbolic visual storytelling. A Romanian-born Canadian artist, Granirer creates paintings, drawings, prints, and digital mixed media works. Her art explores memory, identity, mythology, exile, and the emotional experience of being human. Whether using brush or screen, Pnina Granirer artwork combines poetic imagery with political insight and experimental form.
Education and Artistic Beginnings
Granirer studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Santiago, Chile. After immigrating to Canada in 1965, she quickly became an active presence in Vancouver’s art community. She founded Artists in Our Midst—the city’s first open studio event. It encouraged local engagement and expanded public access to the arts.
This early commitment to visibility and mentorship continues to shape her legacy.
Solo and International Exhibitions
Pnina Granirer’s artwork has been shown in more than 60 solo exhibitions across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Her exhibitions have appeared at the Richmond Art Gallery, Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery, Yukon Arts Centre, and Fundación Eugenio Granell in Spain.
She has also contributed to group exhibitions in France, Chile, Israel, Italy, and the United States. These shows brought her work to new audiences and fostered global conversations.
Public Collections and Institutional Recognition
Over 40 public institutions hold Pnina Granirer artwork in their collections. These include the Vancouver Art Gallery, Glenbow Museum, Simon Fraser University, Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem, and Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende in Santiago, Chile.
Her inclusion in these collections reflects the depth and universality of her vision.
Commissions, Projects, and Awards
Granirer has received notable public commissions throughout her career. These include two paintings for Vancouver International Airport and a major piece for Temple Shalom in Vancouver.
She has earned several awards for her creative work. Among them is the Alcuin Citation for The Trials of Eve, a project that blends image and text to explore transformation, mythology, and womanhood.
Medium Exploration and Recent Work
In recent years, Granirer has explored digital and photo-based mediums. Her Guanajuato Series reimagines urban architecture and street textures through colour, rhythm, and abstraction. These works preserve the emotional impact of her earlier paintings while embracing a new visual language.
Pnina Granirer artwork continues to evolve. However, it remains rooted in enduring themes of identity, resilience, and memory.
Writing and Memoir
In addition to her visual art, Granirer wrote Light Within the Shadows. This memoir chronicles her journey from war-torn Europe to her decades as an artist in Canada. The book, much like her artwork, is layered, personal, and full of insight.
It adds another dimension to Pnina Granirer artwork, connecting her images to the stories behind them.
Ongoing Practice and Legacy
Granirer remains a vital voice in Canadian contemporary art.
Her work resonates across generations, cultures, and disciplines. Through every piece, Pnina Granirer artwork invites viewers to reflect on identity, history, and the power of imagination.
Selected Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2017
Light Within the Shadows – Exhibition & Book Launch, Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2012
The Whisper of Stones, Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
Imagination Games, Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2005
Synchronicity, Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Floating Dancers, Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, BC
2002
The Dancers Suite, Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse, YT
2001
Dancers, Ballard Lederer Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1999
Recent Works, Gallery 1248, Victoria, BC
Highlights, Gallery Telepaz, Kanata, ON
In Search of Eden, Prince George Art Gallery, Prince George, BC
The Human Factor, Gallery 1248, Victoria, BC
1998
Celebrating a Life’s Work: A 40-Year Survey, Richmond Art Gallery, BC
1997
Synchronicity, Oktavia Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1995
The Trials of Eve – Lecture & Exhibition of Original Drawings and Book, Gabriel Books, Vancouver, BC
In Search of Eden, Torres Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Pacific Exchanges, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, Vancouver, BC
Pnina Granirer: 1985–1995, Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1993
The Trials of Eve – Lecture, Exhibition & Film Screening, Alliance Française, Vancouver, BC
Heart of the Stone, Arts Centre of New Westminster, BC
The Trials of Eve – Book Launch & Exhibition, Fotobase Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1991
The Trials of Eve – Lecture & Exhibition, Richmond Public Library, Richmond, BC
1990
Carved Stones Suite, Smash Gallery of Modern Art, Vancouver, BC
The Trials of Eve – Book Launch & Exhibition, Women in Focus, Vancouver, BC
Myth and Reality, University Women’s Club, Hycroft, Vancouver, BC
The Trials of Eve – Book Launch & Exhibition, Bowie & Weatherford, Seattle, WA and The Great Northwest Bookstore, Portland, OR
Back to the Source, Sandstone Studio, Gabriola Island, BC
1989
Carved Stones Series, Art Gallery of the South Okanagan, Penticton, BC
Carved Stones Series, Galerie Rochon, Toronto, ON
1988
Carved Stones, Threshold Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1987
Les Rochers Bleus, Galerie Aktuaryus, Strasbourg, France
1986
The Blue Rocks Series, Atelier Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1985
Family Portraits, Koffler Gallery, Toronto, ON
1984
Cannibal Bird Suite & Trials of Eve, Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, Sechelt, BC
Family Portraits, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Family Portraits, Chrysalis Gallery, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
New Works, Civic Centre, North Vancouver, BC
Family Portraits, Calgary Jewish Centre, Calgary, AB
1983
Du Canada, Galerie Artal, Strasbourg, France
New Works, Gold Design Fine Arts, Calgary, AB
1982
Cannibal Bird Suite & Trials of Eve, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
New Works, Shalom Gallery, Vancouver, BC
The Captive Birds Suite, Gold Design Fine Arts, Calgary, AB
1980
New Works, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
West Coast Series, Gold Design Fine Arts, Calgary, AB
Les Oiseaux Cannibales, Galerie Artal, Strasbourg, France
1979
New Works, Fleet Gallery, Winnipeg, MB
New Works, Topham Brown Gallery, Vernon, BC
New Works, Kelowna Art Association, Kelowna, BC
New Works, Kamloops Public Art Gallery, Kamloops, BC
New Drawings, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Coast Forest Images, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1978
New Works, Maples Gallery, Saanich, BC
New Works, Minotaur Gallery, Mission, BC
Pnina Granirer, WomanArt Gallery, New York, NY
Childhood Magic, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1977
New Drawings, Presentation House, North Vancouver, BC
New Works, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1975
West Coast Images, University Women’s Club, Hycroft, Vancouver, BC
West Coast Images, Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1972
The Kite Series, Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
1966
Pnina Granirer, Danish Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Pnina Granirer, Pandora’s Box Gallery, Victoria, BC
Pnina Granirer, Art Den Gallery, Montreal, QC
1962
Hillel House, Urbana, IL
Student Union Gallery, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
The Diary of a Dreamer, Women’s Art Power, Palmieri Foundation, Lecce, Italy
2023
Traces of Time, Primo Piano LivinGallery & Palmieri Foundation, Lecce, Italy
2021
You Are Not Alone, Penticton Art Gallery, BC
2020
Selected Stories, Richmond Art Gallery, BC
2018
e-Racism, Penticton Art Gallery, Penticton, BC
2017
LEGENDS, Fundación Museo Eugenio Granell, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Las Llaves del Deseo, Fundación CamaleonArt, Museo Municipal de Cartago, Costa Rica & Panama
2015
Permanent Collection
2012
Artists in Our Midst 20th Anniversary, Roundhouse, Vancouver, BC
2011
Hommage Matta, Museo Internacional, Chillán, Chile
2010
Forum Universal de las Culturas, Galería de Arte Consistorial, Valparaíso, Chile
El Umbral Secreto, Museo de Valparaíso, University of Talca, Peru & Argentina
Virtues of Memory, Yad Vashem Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Cross Connections: Four Decades of Contemporary Art in the Pacific Northwest, Legacy Gallery, Victoria, BC
MOMENTUM, Leighdon Studio Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2009
El Umbral Secreto, Museum Salvador Allende, Museum of Santiago, and Diario La Nación, Santiago, Chile
2008
Reverso do Olhar, International Exhibition of Contemporary Surrealism, Coimbra, Portugal
Art For Nature, Munster Complex, Amersfoort, Netherlands; Galerie Drenthe, Hooghalen, Netherlands
The Faces of Eve, Museum Beit Ha’Tanach, Tel Aviv, Israel
2006
A Sense of Movement, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam, BC
Earthday, Ouwehands Dierenpark, Arnhem, Netherlands
West Coast Surrealism, Grand Forks Art Gallery, BC
2005
West Coast Surreal: A Canadian Perspective, Museo Granell, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Abstractions et Figurations, Maison des Artistes, Château Grimaldi, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
Reasons to Love the Earth, Leeuwenbergh, Utrecht, Netherlands
2004
Reasons to Love the Earth, Sejong Cultural Center, Seoul, Korea
Choreio+Graphe / Dancing / Drawing, Burnaby Art Gallery, BC
Czech Artists in Canada / Canadian Artists in the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
2003
Contemporary Drawing, T.W. Wood Gallery, Montpelier, Vermont
2002
West Coast Dreamers, Harrison Festival of the Arts, Harrison, BC
1999
Artists in Our Midst, Vancouver, BC
1998
Art 98, Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC
Artists in Our Midst, Vancouver, BC
1997
Artropolis – Browser 1997, Roundhouse, Vancouver
Ars Mundi, 4th International Conference of the Visual Arts, Vancouver, BC
Artists in Our Midst, Vancouver, BC
1996
Quay Gallery, Gibsons, BC
A Child’s View, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
1995
Artists in Our Midst, Vancouver, BC
A Jewish Beaux Arts, Zack Gallery, Vancouver
1994
Artists in Our Midst, Vancouver, BC
Unravelling the Patterns – Reweaving the Future, UBC, Vancouver, BC
1993
Artists in Our Midst, Vancouver, BC
Mona in Bmo, Galerie Mladych, Brno, Czech Republic
11th Annual Vancouver Exhibition, Community Arts Council, Vancouver
La Couleur de Mon Art, Studio 16, Vancouver, BC
Canadian Art in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
The Canadada Elvis Stamp Series, Smash Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Art Can’t Hurt, NEWZONES Gallery, Calgary, Alberta
1992
Canadian Women Artists, Canadian Embassy, Paris, France
The Stendhal Effect, Emily Carr Art College, Vancouver, BC
Christmas Show, Patrick Doheny Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Genesis, Victoria Jewish Centre, Victoria, BC
1991
Rainforest of the Mind, Gallery Alpha, West Vancouver, BC
Fertility Rites, Gallery Alpha, West Vancouver, BC
1990
A Celebration of the Female Spirit, Coe Gallery, Portland, Oregon
Bumbershoot, Seattle, Washington
1989
Emma Lake Artists’ Workshop, Emma Lake, Saskatchewan
Fear of Others: Art Against Racism, The Roundhouse, Vancouver, BC
The New Landscape, Pitt Gallery, Vancouver, BC
BC Festival of the Arts, Vancouver, BC
Gallerie Annual 1989, Community Arts Council, Vancouver, BC
Pnina Granirer & Peter Davenport, The British Columbia Club, Vancouver, BC
1988
Fear of Others, Firehall Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Mona Lisa, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC
1987
Réverbérations, Canadian Cultural Centre, Paris, France
Biennale de la Société des Beaux-Arts, Grand Palais, Paris, France
1986
B.C. Artists at the Square ’86, Robson Square, Vancouver, BC
Jewish Visions ’86, Vancouver, BC
Festival Francophone ’86, Robson Square, Vancouver, BC
101 Vancouver Artists, Pitt International Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Sacred Arts, St. Andrew’s Wesley Church, Vancouver, BC
1985
B.C. Women Artists 1885–1985, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, BC
Theatre Arts, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC
1984
B.C. Artists at the Square ’84, Robson Square, Vancouver, BC
A Canadian Collection ’84, Peretz School, Calgary, AB
Jewish Visions, Vancouver, BC
1983
A Canadian Collection ’83, Peretz School, Calgary, AB
Print Fair, Bern, Switzerland
Three Artists, Alliance Française, Vancouver, BC
Viewpoints, Calgary Board of Education, Calgary, AB
1982
A Canadian Collection ’82, Peretz School, Calgary, AB
Two Artists (with Alistair Bell), Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1981
A Canadian Collection ’81, Peretz School, Calgary, AB
Emerging Canadian Artists, Muttart Gallery, Calgary, AB
1980
A Canadian Collection ’80, Peretz School, Calgary, AB
13 Women Artists, Gallery Move, Vancouver, BC
1979
Focus One Gallery, Vernon, BC
Kamloops Public Gallery, Kamloops, BC
Hogar Gallery, Lima, Peru
Women Artists Group Show, Gallery Move, North Vancouver, BC
1978
Archives Collection of the Society of Canada, Art Gallery of Hamilton, ON
The Artist’s Work as Reflection of Environment, Ottawa, ON
Lincoln Center, New York, NY
WomanArt Gallery, New York, NY
1977
Accent on Art Gallery, Winnipeg, MB
WomanArt Gallery, New York, NY
Third Annual Malaspina Print Show, Helen Pitt Gallery, Vancouver, BC
For the Birds, UBC Fine Arts Gallery, Vancouver, BC
14th Annual Calgary Graphics Exhibition, Calgary, AB
Civic Center, North Vancouver, BC
King County Arts Commission, Seattle, WA
Four Canadian Artists, Zagreb, Yugoslavia
USA National Print Exhibition, Hunterdon Art Center, NJ
1976
Civic Centre, North Vancouver, BC
Four Canadian Artists, Maribor & Ljubljana, Yugoslavia
Nordau Annual, Vancouver, BC
1975
International Women’s Year, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
Dawn – Women Artists of BC, UBC Student Union Gallery
Malaspina Printmaker’s Society, Helen Pitt Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Perth Drawing International, Perth, Australia
Creative Women, Fantastic Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1974
Mido Gallery, Vancouver, BC
50 B.C. Women Artists, UBC Student Union Gallery
11th Graphics International, Alberta College of Art, Calgary, AB
ISIS, Travelling BC Exhibition
Canadian Painters-Etchers & Engravers, Touring Show
Canadian Artists Exhibit, UBC, International Math Conference
Dimension Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1973
Deer Lake Printmakers’ Society, Burnaby Art Gallery
Three Artists, H & S Canvas Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1972
SCAN – BC Artists, Vancouver Art Gallery
Canadian Painters-Etchers & Engravers 56th Annual, Toronto, ON
Private Patrons Collect, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
1971
Canadian Painters-Etchers Annual National Graphics, Toronto, ON
Picture Loan Juried Show, Burnaby Art Gallery
H & S Canvas Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1970
United Nations Permanent Collection, New York, Boston, Montreal
Four Artists, H & S Canvas Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1968
Canadian Painters-Etchers & Engravers, National Graphics Show, Toronto, ON
1967
Picture Loan Gallery Show, Pointe Claire, QC
1965
Annual Art Show, Ithaca, NY
1963
Central Illinois Artists’ League, National Juried Show, Champaign, IL
1960
Union of Israeli Artists, Jerusalem, Israel
Awards & Commissions
2002
Canada Council Travel Grant
1997
Commissioned to create two paintings for the Vancouver International Airport
1986
Commissioned painting for Temple Shalom, Vancouver, BC
Designed a Christmas card for the Cancer Society
Cover design for the Greater Vancouver Jewish Telephone Directory
1995
Works featured in the TV series Strange Luck
1984
Works featured in the TV series Sliders
Contributed to the Print Portfolio of 18 B.C. Artists for Wildlife Rescue, Vancouver, BC
Created a mural for the Jewish Centre, Calgary, Alberta
Designed sets for The Comedy of Errors
1983
Designed sets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
1978
Designed cover for the University Singers’ record, University of British Columbia
1978
Created cover illustration for Playboard Magazine, Vancouver, March edition
1977
Cover illustration for Prism International, University of British Columbia, Fall issue
Cover for Two Plays by George Woodcock, Talon Books
1976
Cover and eight woodblock prints for Canadian Fiction Magazine, Feb/March, No. 20
Full-page drawing for MAKARA Magazine, Vol. I, No. 2
First Prize – Graphics, Nordau Annual, Vancouver, BC
1975
Illustration for The Upper-Left-Hand Corner, a Writer’s Guide for the Northwest, Burnaby, BC
Poster design for Canadian Fiction Magazine
Poster design for UNICEF Canada
1974
Cover and eight drawings for Canadian Fiction Magazine, Summer issue
1964
Illustrations for a slide lecture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
1960
Wood engraving illustrations for Small Verses by Moshe Hanaami, Jerusalem
Illustrations for Chamber Music by James Joyce (translated by Moshe Hanaami), Jerusalem
1960–1962
Illustrations for children’s books and filmstrips, Department of Culture, Jerusalem
Selected Public Collections
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
B.C. Ferry Corporation
Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC
CamaleonArt, San Jose, Costa Rica
Canada Northwest Energy Ltd., Calgary, AB
City of Strasbourg, France
Dal Cor Corporation, Toronto
Dominion Securities Pitfield
Environmental Management Assoc., Toronto
Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric Sciences, UBC
Esso Canada Resources, Calgary, AB
Fundación Museo Eugenio Granell, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia
Glenbow Museum, Calgary, AB
Gulf Oil of Canada, Calgary, AB
Green College, UBC, Vancouver, BC
Goldsmith Museum of Chizuk Amuno Congregation, Baltimore, USA
Grand Forks Art Gallery, BC
Human Rights Commission, UN, New York, NY
Hamilton Art Gallery, Ontario
Jewish Community Centre, Vancouver, BC
Jewish Centre, Calgary, AB
Lions Gate Hospital, North Vancouver, BC
Louis Brier Home for the Aged, Vancouver, BC
Museo Nacional de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende, Santiago, Chile
Opera UBC, University of British Columbia
Peter Savage Collection, Calgary, AB
Pan Canadian Petroleum, Calgary, AB
Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond, BC
Shell Oil of Canada, Calgary, AB
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
Sun Tower, Toronto, ON
Supreme Petroleum, Toronto, ON
St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC
School of Architecture, UBC, Vancouver, BC
Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
Toby, Russell, Buchnell & Partners, Vancouver
UNICEF Collection, New York, NY
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver Hospital Foundation
Yad Vashem Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Yukon Arts Centre Gallery, Whitehorse, YT