Abigail D'Mello

Abigail D’Mello is a Canadian-born Indian fine artist who lives and works in Toronto. She holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting with a minor in Art History from OCAD University. Working primarily with acrylic on canvas and gold leaf, her practice explores themes of femininity, cultural memory, and decolonization, with a focus on reclaiming erased or misrepresented narratives of South Asian women.

Drawing from archival photographs, oral histories, feminist movements in India, and personal family stories, Abigail creates figurative paintings that celebrate resistance, sovereignty, and empowerment. Her use of gold leaf references the historical and symbolic significance of gold in Indian culture, especially its connection to womanhood and power.

She recently displayed her BFA thesis work at GradEx 110 and has exhibited at Gallery 1313 and the Ada Slaight Galleries.

In her future projects, Abigail is planning on exploring new material approaches, such as staining with natural dyes and incorporating traditional fabrics, to further engage with decolonial processes. These methods will allow her to embed layers of meaning into the surface of her paintings and connect more deeply with ancestral knowledge.