About (Copy)

Kal Mansur mines possibilities within abstraction, making a case for its plural nature. His work exists in a liminal space between Western abstraction and a diasporic approach to colour. While formal in scope, his compositions arise from an elsewhere – be it the global south or a desert plain in Texas. They recall enveloping aerial landscapes.

"I use my work to tune visual perception," he says. "The work's non-definitive nature allows it to vibrate like a tuning fork. The observer can decide whether what they see is in or out of tune."

Mansur was born in Chittagong in 1965 and was raised on an air force base. He witnessed bombings in the war of 1971 for the creation of Bangladesh. His family immigrated to Toronto in 1975. In 1986 he entered the University of Texas, completing his BFA in Painting in 1990. He was mentored by Peter Saul, who told him to "waste as much paint as you use." Advice he follows to this day. Mansur started his early career in Toronto with solo exhibitions from 1991-1993. He moved to Brooklyn in 1994 and held many jobs to sustain himself while exhibiting across New York. He opened his studio in Toronto in 2006 and since then has had various exhibitions in Toronto, New York, and the Netherlands. His work is regularly shown in international art fairs, and has been commissioned by Tiffany & Co., George Brown College, Bonjour Capital, and Related Companies. His works were recently acquired by Global Affairs Canada and were placed at the Canada Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020. He is represented by Myta Sayo Gallery in Toronto.