Winnipeg-born Abigail Wall grew up in a household of six adoptees from diverse backgrounds, “warrior women who carried pain in their eyes.” She says that was her aboriginal siblings who really took care of her. She later studied acting and has done stand-up comedy and improv. She also studied classical voice (Conservatory, Grade 8) and has more recently sung jazz and written songs.
About five years ago, she added painting to her repertoire-and so far has had three solo shows-but in this domain she is self taught. She paints in acrylic on canvas using ink spaletters as highlights. Abby says early influences include Japanese anime, the work of pin-up illustrator Gil Elvgren, and Archie
comic characters Betty & Veronica. Her twist on these precedents to embody the personalities of “women Ican recognize in all shapes and sizes,” including especially women of colour, whom she
considers under-respresented in art. Where she portrays partial nudity, it is not to focus on sex, but to better explore human form and movement. Her colours are bright and her backgrounds vibrant,
ranging from cosmic, to psychedelic, to plaids reminiscent of traditional Jamaican bandana or madras patterns. “I’m an extrovert,” Abby says, “so painting is my company when no one’s around. I’m prolific, and will stick with a project for twelve hours at a time. Art heals and feeds me.”
Abigail Wall
Fantastic Fungi, 2024
Acrylic
36″ x 24″
Abigail Wall
Island Florals, 2025
Acrylic
36″ x 24″
Abigail Wall
Peaches, 2025
Acrylic
24″ x 18″
Abigail Wall
Autumn Comes, 2024
Mixed Media
24″ x 24″
Abigail Wall
It All Comes Together, 2025
Acrylic
18″ x 24″