Jessica Smith

Explore the pure joy of coloring pencils and markers with fifty 15-minute projects that encourage you to explore drawing in a relaxing, free and fun way. Each project can be completed in no more than six steps and will include practice pages, color swatches and helpful hints to make light work of the artwork. With sections including Patterns, Nature, Food and Characters, you can try your hand at drawing flowers, fruit, faces and more. Plus, at the end of each chapter, Jess will show you how to put all the objects together to create a beautiful still life scene.

Hardcover | 240 pages
17 x 22 cm (6.7 x 8.6 in.) 
Publication Date: 2023

Anna Tromop 

From whimsical woodlands to fantastical flora and fauna, Anna Tromop encourages you to explore the magic of ink through fifty 15-minute drawings. Each relaxed project is accompanied by simple step-by-step instructions, and all can be completed in six steps or less. All you need is a pen! With a guide to outlining and shading, as well as traceable templates and practice pages, this book proves that ink drawing is for everyone – no matter your skill level or age. 

Hardcover | 240 pages
17 x 22 cm (6.7 x 8.6 in.) 
Publication Date: 2025

Lori Pauli, John McElhone 

19th-Century British Photographs is the third installment in a series of catalogues that showcase the depth and variety of photographs from the National Gallery of Canada's permanent collection. This catalogue documents the developments in photographic technologies in 19th century Britain; from historically important paper negatives to platinum prints, works by Julia Margaret Cameron, William Henry Fox Talbot, Frederick Evans, Roger Fenton, and Henry Peach Robinson, among others, are beautifully illustrated and examined. 

Paper | 180 pages 
20.5 x 26.5 cm (8 x 10½ in.) 
Publication Date: 2011

James Borcoman 

19th-Century French Photographs is the second in a series of exhibitions highlighting the strengths of the National Gallery of Canada's permanent collection of photographs. The intention of the exhibition is also to provide an introduction to the history of the medium's early years; the beautifully illustrated catalogue highlights works by such photographers as Charles Marville, Gustave Le Gray, Eugène Atget, Édouard Baldus, Étienne Carjat, Henri Le Secq, and Nadar. 

Paper | 168 pages 
20.5 x 26.5 cm (8 x 10½ in.) 
Publication Date: 2010

Jonathan Shaughnessy, with contributions by Nicole Burisch, Rachelle Dickenson, Josée Drouin-Brisebois, Greg Hill, Jasmine Inglis, Andrea Kunard, Christine Lalonde, Ann Thomas and Rhiannon Vogl

The 2017 Canadian Biennial brings the “here and now” of Canadian and Indigenous artistic production into focus, renewing the Gallery’s commitment to showcasing leading examples of art-making in our country today. The fourth Canadian Biennial to date, the 2017 edition of the show will also for the first time feature works of international contemporary art acquired since April 2014 by the departments of Contemporary Art and Indigenous Art, as well as the Canadian Photography Institute.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Barry Ace, John Akomfrah, Benoit Aquin, Suvinai Ashoona, BGL, Valérie Blass, Shannon Bool, Shary Boyle, Mark Bradford, Anthony Burnham, Nick Cave, Patrick Coutu, Chris Curreri, Beau Dick, Stan Douglas, Jessica Eaton, Latifa Echakhch, Tracey Emin, Cynthia Girard-Renard, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Houseago, Christian Jankowski, Brian Jungen, Shelagh Keeley, Ruben Komangapik, Jonathan Lasker, lessLIE, Maya Lin, Elaine Ling, Angela Marston, Julie Mehretu, Kent Monkman, Wangechi Mutu, Nadia Myre, Chris Ofili, Jamasee Padluq Pitseolak, Susan Point, Mika Rottenberg, Collier Schorr, Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, Wael Shawky, Steven Shearer, Taryn Simon, Kiki Smith, Monika Sosnowska, Zin Taylor, Mickalene Thomas, Wolfgang Tillmans, Jutai Toonoo, Renée Van Halm, Hajra Waheed, Daniel Young & Christian Giroux

Paperback | 336 pages
27.5 x 22 x 2.5 cm (10.8 x 8.7 x 1 in.)
Bilingual
Publication Date: 2017

Raymond Biesinger & Alex Bozikovic

The legacies of theaters, hotels, fire stations, flour mills, and more — torn down, burned down, and otherwise lost — are uncovered in this bittersweet collection. Using archival photographs, blueprints, and written reports, Raymond Biesinger has rendered a selection of Canada’s most iconic lost buildings in his signature minimalist style.

Accompanying Biesinger’s illustrations are Alex Bozikovic’s descriptions which capture each building’s historical, cultural, and architectural significance. Bozikovic draws on local histories, archived building permits and his own extensive knowledge of the Canadian urban architectural landscape and its history — from the letters passed through Kelowna’s unlikely art deco post office to the destruction of a home in Halifax’s Africville — to offer fascinating, sometimes forgotten stories about each building and its significance.

Softcover | 200 pages
14 x 22.8 cm (5.5 x 9 in.) 
Publication Date: 2022

Lise Herzog

A year of easy to progressively harder daily challenges to learn the fundamentals of drawing. Each shows the steps from the first line to the last and a brief text explains the steps. You can move through the book front to back or pick and choose. All 365 drawings start with one shape or line—a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, a curved line, a straight line—upon which the object or person is built. By mixing these basic strokes anything is achievable.

Hardcover | 368 pages
19.7 x 15.9 cm (7.8 x 6.3 in.) 
Publication Date: 2020

Lise Herzog

A year of easy to progressively harder daily challenges to learn the fundamentals of drawing. Each shows the steps from the first line to the last and a brief text explains the steps. You can move through the book front to back or pick and choose. All 365 drawings start with one shape or line—a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, a curved line, a straight line—upon which the object or person is built. By mixing these basic strokes anything is achievable.

Hardcover | 368 pages
19.7 x 15.9 cm (7.8 x 6.3 in.) 
Publication Date: 2023

Gord Hill

500 ans de résistance autochtone powerfully portrays flashpoints in history when Indigenous peoples have risen and fought back against colonizers and other oppressors. Events depicted include the Spanish conquest of the Aztec, Mayan and Inca empires; the 1680 Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico; the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890; the resistance of the Great Plains peoples in the 19th century; and more recently, the Idle No More protests supporting Indigenous sovereignty and rights in 2012 and 2013, and the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016.

Softcover | 133 pages
30.5 x 22.9 cm (9 x 12 in.) 
Publication Date: 2023

David A. Robertson

52 voies vers la réconciliation is an accessible, friendly guide for non-Indigenous people eager to learn, or Indigenous people eager to do more in our collective effort towards reconciliation, as people, and as a country. As much as non-Indigenous people want to walk the path of reconciliation, they often aren’t quite sure what to do, and they’re afraid of making mistakes. This book is the answer and the long overdue guide.

The idea of this book is simple: 52 small acts of reconciliation to consider, one per week, for an entire year. They’re all doable, and they’re all meaningful. All 52 steps take readers in the right direction, towards a healthier relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and a time when we are past trauma. By following these steps, we can live in stronger and healthier communities equally, and respectfully, together.

232 pages | Hardcover
13 x 21 cm (5.1 x 8.2 in.) 
Publication Date: 2026

David A. Robertson

52 Ways to Reconcile is an accessible, friendly guide for non-Indigenous people eager to learn, or Indigenous people eager to do more in our collective effort towards reconciliation, as people, and as a country. As much as non-Indigenous people want to walk the path of reconciliation, they often aren’t quite sure what to do, and they’re afraid of making mistakes. This book is the answer and the long overdue guide.

The idea of this book is simple: 52 small acts of reconciliation to consider, one per week, for an entire year. They’re all doable, and they’re all meaningful. All 52 steps take readers in the right direction, towards a healthier relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and a time when we are past trauma. By following these steps, we can live in stronger and healthier communities equally, and respectfully, together.

240 pages | Hardcover
13 x 21 cm (5.1 x 8.2 in.) 
Publication Date: 2025

Witold Rybczynski

Witold Rybczynski's insightful and provocative text is accompanied by a fascinating array of paintings, drawings and photographs illustrating the history of museum architecture and showcasing Safdie's innovations in his design for the Gallery.

Paper | 108 pages 
20.5 x 30.5 cm (8 x 12 in.) 
Publication Date: 1993

Liam Gillick

A Variability Quantifier is an artwork intended to function as an operational weather station. Located on Fogo Island to the north of Newfoundland, it gathers local weather data and is a place for education, reflection, and discussion. A year after the installation of the work Liam Gillick returned to Fogo to make a documentary film about his work. This resulted in two separate films that make use of the same footage. In Variability Quantified we hear Nobel Prize winning climatologist Syukuro Manabe explaining the science of global heating and his pioneering work modeling earth’s climate in the 1960s. In Quantified Variability the artist dramatically altered the natural colors in the footage and set it to a layered soundtrack of automated industrial production. This book is a record of the two films alongside a discussion with art historian Tom McDonough. With earlier projects in Paris, Japan and Australia, Gillick engaged in representing the science of the climate crisis. A Variability Quantifier collects data to feed into the global system extending his artistic elevation of the maths and science of our shared climate emergency.

Bilingual
Softcover | 200 pages
19 x 24 cm (7.5 x 9.5 in.) 
Publication Date: 2025

Edited by Rachelle Dickenson, Greg A. Hill, and Christine Lalonde, with contributions by Birgit Hopfener, Heather Igloliorte, Biung Ismahasan, Jason Edward Lewis, Nomusa Makhubu, Joar Nango, Ruth Phillips, Carmen Robertson, Ariel Smith, Megan Tamati-Quennell, Carla Taunton and Ming Tiampo

Produced in conjunction with the National Gallery of Canada exhibition Àbadakone | Continuous Fire | Feu continuel, this multifaceted publication features work by more than 70 contemporary Indigenous artists identifying with almost 40 Indigenous nations, ethnicities and tribal affiliations from 16 countries, including Canada. Tapping into the global pulse of Indigenous artistic production, Àbadakone builds upon themes of continuity, activation, and relatedness, exploring the creativity, concerns and vitality of Indigenous art from virtually every continent.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Barry Ace, Brian Adams, Leonce Raphael, Agbodjélou, Joi T. Arcand, Shuvinai Ashoona, Pierre Aupilardjuk, Pierre Aupilardjuk and Shary Boyle, Rebecca Belmore, Jordan Bennett, Catherine Blackburn, Inger Blix Kvammen, Dempsey Bob, Edgar Calel, Manuel Chavajay, Hannah Claus, Dana Claxton, Melissa Cody, Ruth Cuthand, Thirza Cuthand, Mique'l Dangeli and Nick Dangeli, Dayna Danger, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Maureen Gruben, Helen Haig-Brown and Gwaai Edenshaw, Marja Helander, Sky Hopinka, Maria Hupfield, Taiye Idahor, Ursula Johnson, Eleng Luluan, Balu Jivya Mashe, Mata Aho Collective, Siwa Mgoboza, Dylan Miner, Tracey Moffatt, Caroline Monnet, Peter Morin, Zanele Muholi, Joar Nango, Marianne Nicolson, Eko Nugroho, Sayo Ogasawara, Qudus Onikeku, Inga-Wiktoria Påve and Anders Sunna, Fernando Poyón, Fredrik Prost, Skeena Reece, Peter Robinson, Evgeniy Salinder, Sarah Sense, Skawennati, Ningiukulu Teevee, Joseph Tisiga, Tribal Women Artists Cooperative, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Rajesh Chaitya Vangad and Gauri Gill, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Jamie Griffiths, Cris Derksen, and Christine Tootoo, Will Wilson, Lisa Hageman Yahgujanaas

Softcover | 272 pages
21 x 24.5 cm (8.2 x 9.6 in.)
Publication Date: 2020

Edited by Rachelle Dickenson, Greg A. Hill, and Christine Lalonde with contributions by Birgit Hopfener, Heather Igloliorte, Biung Ismahasan, Jason Edward Lewis, Nomusa Makhubu, Joar Nango, Ruth Phillips, Carmen Robertson, Ariel Smith, Megan Tamati-Quennell, Carla Taunton and Ming Tiampo

Produced in conjunction with the National Gallery of Canada exhibition Àbadakone | Continuous Fire | Feu continuel, this multifaceted publication features work by more than 70 contemporary Indigenous artists identifying with almost 40 Indigenous nations, ethnicities and tribal affiliations from 16 countries, including Canada. Tapping into the global pulse of Indigenous artistic production, Àbadakone builds upon themes of continuity, activation, and relatedness, exploring the creativity, concerns and vitality of Indigenous art from virtually every continent.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Barry Ace, Brian Adams, Leonce Raphael, Agbodjélou, Joi T. Arcand, Shuvinai Ashoona, Pierre Aupilardjuk, Pierre Aupilardjuk and Shary Boyle, Rebecca Belmore, Jordan Bennett, Catherine Blackburn, Inger Blix Kvammen, Dempsey Bob, Edgar Calel, Manuel Chavajay, Hannah Claus, Dana Claxton, Melissa Cody, Ruth Cuthand, Thirza Cuthand, Mique'l Dangeli and Nick Dangeli, Dayna Danger, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Maureen Gruben, Helen Haig-Brown and Gwaai Edenshaw, Marja Helander, Sky Hopinka, Maria Hupfield, Taiye Idahor, Ursula Johnson, Eleng Luluan, Balu Jivya Mashe, Mata Aho Collective, Siwa Mgoboza, Dylan Miner, Tracey Moffatt, Caroline Monnet, Peter Morin, Zanele Muholi, Joar Nango, Marianne Nicolson, Eko Nugroho, Sayo Ogasawara, Qudus Onikeku, Inga-Wiktoria Påve and Anders Sunna, Fernando Poyón, Fredrik Prost, Skeena Reece, Peter Robinson, Evgeniy Salinder, Sarah Sense, Skawennati, Ningiukulu Teevee, Joseph Tisiga, Tribal Women Artists Cooperative, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Rajesh Chaitya Vangad and Gauri Gill, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Jamie Griffiths, Cris Derksen, and Christine Tootoo, Will Wilson, Lisa Hageman Yahgujanaas

Paperback | 272 pages
21 x 24.5 cm (8.2 x 9.6 in.)
Publication Date: 2020

Edited by Kim Nguyen with contributions by Federico Campagna; Stefano Riccioni; Marina Roy; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Asli Seven; and Lucy T. Smith

Abbas Akhavan’s practice ranges from site-specific ephemeral installations to drawing, video, sculpture and performance. The direction of his research is deeply influenced by his engagement with the places in which he works – their histories and architectures, as well as the economies and inhabitants that shape them. For Entre chien et loup, his installation at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, he reimagines the Canada Pavilion as a monumental Wardian case, a 19th-century innovation for transporting plants across the British Empire. Hosting giant water lilies of the genus Victoria in a custom pool, the pavilion also evokes the Crystal Palace, constructed for the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, where the plant was prominently displayed. Although native to South America, the water lilies were a natural wonder of the Victorian era. Named in homage to Queen Victoria, they are considered her emblem.

Entre chien et loup explores ecological fragility, imperial legacies and the threshold between wild and domesticated worlds. Its title, literally “between dog and wolf” in English, evokes the indeterminate nature of twilight, when distinctions blur and a dog might be mistaken for a wolf. Expanding on this metaphor, the project offers a lens onto the liminal – between day and night, nature and culture – where histories resurface and new possibilities for coexistence emerge. Richly illustrated, this volume delves into the ideas and research behind Akhavan’s installation. Texts by contributors from a range of backgrounds – curatorial, historical, scientific and philosophical – situate the work within broader interdisciplinary conversations.

English and French
Softcover | 224 pages | 2026
21.3 × 30 cm (8.4 × 11.8 in.)
87 colour, 13 b&w illustrations

Arthur Tiar and Maxime Penaud

Artistic technique is not about talent, it's about approach! To improve, you must practice. To practice, you must enjoy yourself. This innovative method will help you do just that! Discover the key concepts of acrylic through easy and fun exercises. You'll be able to practice right away and get rewarding results while you learn. So, grab your brushes and have fun! 

Paperback | 32 pages
21 x 29.6 cm (8.2 x 11.6 in.) 
Publication Date: 2024 

Only available in French. 

Lori Pauli, Marta Weiss, Ann Thomas, Karen Henry

Since the earliest days of photography, artists have directed models posing before the camera and, through the use of theatrical props, costumes, and lighting, have created "staged" photographs that tell a story. Acting the Part is the first major history of this enduring and highly creative branch of photography. Beautiful illustrations range from the earliest salted paper prints and daguerreotypes to today's digitally manipulated images. The book also presents 57 short biographies of the genre's leading practitioners, including Oscar Rejlander, Julia Margaret Cameron, Lewis Carroll, Man Ray, Duane Michals, Les Krims, Jeff Wall, Yasumasa Morimura and Wang Qingsong, among others.

Softcover & Hardcover | 176 pages
28.5 x 23.5 x 1.5 cm (11.2 x 9.3 x 0.6 in.)
Publication Date: 2006

Greg Hill, Chris Dueker, Lee-Ann Martin

Alex Janvier is among the most important figures in the development of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada. This retrospective presents more than 150 works created from 1950 to the present day and recounts the story of a life devoted to art and the re-empowerment of Indigenous cultures. Over a prolific sixty-five-year career Janvier has produced thousands of paintings and many public commissions, all in a unique style, recognizable for its calligraphic lines, vivid colours, Dene iconography and forms that evoke land, sky, galaxies and microscopic life. Janvier is part of a distinguished group of artists in Canada who have brought Indigenous beliefs, issues and aesthetics to the foreground and successfully combined them with Western art styles and techniques.

Paperback | 200 pages
23 x 28 cm (9 x 11 in.)
Publication Date: 2016