Tanya Read graduated from the
Ontario College of Art and Design in 1995 and since then she has been active in
the Toronto art community. She was an organizer and founder of the Impure artists collective in Toronto from 1994 – 1998.
In 1999 Read and partner Scott Carruthers opened a
storefront exhibition space called Fly Gallery in the Queen St. W. neighbourhood of Toronto. Fly Gallery closed in the fall of
2011 after 12 years.
Tanya
created a character called Mr. Nobody in 1998 and since then her art practice
has focused on projects featuring this character. Read has made super 8
animations, drawings, sculpture, silk screened t-shirts and video all featuring
Mr. Nobody. Her work has received extensive critical acclaim including articles
in The Globe and Mail, National Post, Canadian Art Magazine, Calgary Herald and
Korea Times. She has exhibited work in Toronto, Calgary, Hamilton, Seoul, Korea
and Japan. When not spending time with Mr. Nobody, Read enjoys the rock and
roll life playing bass and singing in the band ÔEthel and the MermenÕ.