Gary Taxali

Born in Chandigarh, India. Lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

Critically acclaimed artist, award-winning illustrator and sought-after toy designer Gary Taxali mixes vintage advertising vernacular with contemporary jest, to simultaneously question and embrace the absurdity of human behaviour. On vintage textbook pages and discarded aluminum street signs, Taxali's original characters spill onto their chosen backdrop with cheeky abandonment. Illustration, painting, stamps, and silkscreen are cleverly collaged with Taxali's signature wit, playing with notions of nostalgia and memory.

Gary Taxali was born in Chandigarh, India in 1968. A year later, he and his family immigrated to Toronto, Canada. The encouragement of his parents led Gary to take art classes as a child that eventually led him to pursue an art education. In 1991, he graduated from the Ontario College of Art and immediately began working as a professional illustrator. A few years later, he began showing in various exhibitions and galleries throughout North America and Europe. In 2005, he launched his first vinyl toy, The Toy Monkey, which included a special edition specifically created for The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Gary was also asked by the Whitney Museum to donate a limited edition print to be given to top donors at their annual fundraising Art Party. Aside from his gallery shows and illustration work, Gary also devotes a portion of his time traveling through lecturing and teaching at various arts organizations and schools such as The Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada. He is a Founding Member of IPA (The Illustrators' Partnership of America) and sits on the Advisory Board of 3x3: The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration.

Currently, Gary is working on 'This Is Silly', a children's book published by Scholastic and slated for a spring 2010 release. He has been commissioned by Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Week, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Converse, Levi's, Sony, McSweeny's, MTV, Coca-Cola. In addition, Gary created the cover and inside artwork for Aimee Mann's latest release @#%&*! Smilers which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Package. Taxali has exhibited with Magic Pony in Last Year's Winner (September 2007), Oh No! Oh Oh! (May 2008), and Stay Gold (December 2008).

» Artist CV (pdf)
» Hindi Love Song. Juxtapoz.com. March 2009.