Winter in Toronto can feel like it lasts forever, so it helps when the city turns into a giant gallery. From a visual art exhibition by Ukrainian and Turkish artists to rarely seen works by a key figure in Toronto’s 1940s art scene, here are five upcoming exhibitions worth planning around in the next few weeks.
The Soul in Five Forms
Where: Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery, 399 The West Mall, Etobicoke
When: Feb. 25–March 26, 2026. Opening reception: Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m.
Cost: Free (no tickets required)
The Soul in Five Forms brings together Ukrainian and Turkish artists to celebrate and promote Ukrainian culture and identity through visual art. The show’s big theme is human-scale: it’s all about identity, belonging and transformation, told through multiple artistic voices (described as five cultural perspectives that reflect on the human spirit). Expect a mix of styles, including gestural landscapes like Mustafa Cetin’s Abstract Nature.
Edna Taçon: Verve and Decorum
Where: Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W.
When: Feb. 28–Aug. 31, 2026. Free public opening on Feb. 28, 2–3 p.m.
Cost: General admission applies, but admission is always free for AGO Members, AGO Annual Passholders, Ontarians under 25 and Indigenous Peoples
The AGO’s new spotlight on Edna Taçon is an easy add to your calendar, especially if you’re into non-objective art! Taçon was a key figure in Toronto’s 1940s art scene and had a huge impact on the development of abstract painting in Canada, with work characterized by floating compositions and flowing lines rendered through a loose blending of colours. This exhibit features more than 25 oil paintings, watercolours and paper collages from the 1940s, as well as archival material, courtesy of Taçon’s family and lenders across Canada. Curated by Renée van der Avoird, AGO Associate Curator of Canadian Art.
Porcelain Narratives
Where: Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, 225 Confederation Dr., Scarborough
When: Feb. 28–Mar. 23, 2026. Opening reception: Sunday, March 1, 1–3 p.m.
Cost: Free (and no tickets required)
Toronto-based artist Tanya Besedina will fill Cedar Ridge’s gallery space with porcelain sculptures and installations that explore themes of memory, transformation and resilience, but it’s the material details that will really pull you in! The works use porcelain for its strength and translucency, then add accents like cobalt pigment and gold lustre, with recurring motifs like faces, eyes, seeds and organic forms that represent renewal and interconnectedness. It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon, because the works encourage you to slow down and notice subtle shifts in form and meaning. Bonus: check out the live performance by Ave Choir Toronto at the opening reception (March 1, 1–3 p.m.).
Tangled Art + Disability: Naal-Naal
Where: Tangled Art Gallery, 401 Richmond St. W., Suite 124
When: March 6–May 1, 2026
Cost: Free
Naal-Naal is a new solo exhibition by Pree Rehal, an artist-educator whose work is rooted in the disabled community. The exhibition moves across textiles, audio, film, embroidery and even puppets, with a central collaborative piece called “The Chrysalis.” Opening night includes light refreshments and a chance to meet the artist.
Constructed Light Exhibition
Where: Clark Centre for the Arts, 191 Guildwood Pkwy., Scarborough (inside Guild Park and Gardens)
When: March 4–30, 2026. Opening reception: March 7, 1–3 p.m.
Cost: Free
Constructed Light is a calming little gallery detour! Scarborough artist Yue Gao plays with the push-and-pull between light, colour and geometry, creating a “dynamic tension between freedom and order” (it’ll kind of feel like you’ve stepped into an atmosphere with its own rules). The exhibition starts from digital studies of light and form, then reconstructs those ideas into new spatial arrangements on canvas, creating scenes that focus on structure and stillness. Afterward, take a quick walk through Guild Park and Gardens.
If you’re looking for more installations to explore, check out this mid-winter Toronto beach exhibition that will feel like you’re stepping into an optical illusion, and this epic art crawl that takes place in Toronto’s coolest neighbourhood.
