Where can you see original abstract paintings near Toronto?
Here, at 473 Simonston Blvd in Markham — about twenty minutes north of North York and inside the Greater Toronto Area, not in the City of Toronto itself. We say that plainly because it matters if you are driving: this is a small gallery, not a downtown storefront you can wander into between errands. It is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00, and viewings are arranged by appointment so that someone is there to open the door and answer questions.
What you will find is the work of one artist, Sergei Troshin. There is no roster and no rotating group show. That makes for a narrower visit than a museum and a much more useful one if you are trying to decide whether a particular painting belongs on a particular wall.
What does "original" actually mean on this site?
It means the painting in front of you was made once, by hand, and there is no second copy of it anywhere. Not a numbered edition, not a giclée print, not a canvas transfer. When a piece here sells, that painting is gone — it is not reprinted at a smaller size.
That distinction gets blurred constantly in online listings, so it is worth being concrete about what you get:
- One physical object, unique, with the artist's hand visible in the surface
- A certificate of authenticity signed by the artist
- No reproductions of that work sold afterwards, in any format or size
If the difference between the three words matters to you — and it should before you spend anything — we wrote it out at length in original, print or reproduction.
Why does abstract work have to be seen in person?
Because most of what a layered abstract painting does happens in the top few millimetres, and a photograph records none of it. Raised paste catches light from one side and goes flat from the other. Resin sinks the eye into the layer below it. Diamond dust and gold do nothing at all in a straight-on studio shot and then change the whole painting when you move your head.
Take two pieces in the room now. The Power of the Abstract (2022) is acrylic on paper sealed with resin, 40 × 60 cm — small, but the sealed surface gives it a depth that a photo reads as glare. Treasure Behind the Wall II (2024) is acrylic, collage and diamond dust on wood, and it is essentially a different painting under a lamp than it is in afternoon daylight.
This is also why we never ask anyone to decide from the website. Come and look from the side, from across the room, and at the distance you would actually live with it. More on that in the same painting in different light.
What kind of abstract work is in the gallery right now?
Mixed media, mostly, and physically varied — the artist works in acrylic, natural dyes and pigments, resin, wax paste, collage, gold and diamond dust, on canvas, board and wood. A few examples of the range currently hanging:
- Infinity (2024) — acrylic on board sealed with resin, 40.6 × 50.8 cm. Small, deep, best at close range.
- Whisper (2025) — mixed media on panel, 83 × 109 cm. Large enough to hold a wall on its own.
- Traces of the Forgotten (2025) — mixed media, 76.2 × 121.9 cm. Wide format, suited to a long wall above a sofa or a sideboard.
- The Choice (2026) — acrylic, resin and metal elements on panel, 40 × 60 cm. Closer to a relief than a flat painting.
"Mixed media" is a term galleries use without explaining it; if it is new to you, Tate's definition is short and honest, and our own note on mixed media covers what it means for a piece you are going to live with. The full listing is on the artworks page.
How do you choose an abstract painting if you have never bought one?
Start with the wall, not with the art. Measure the width and height of the space, note how far back a person normally stands, and look at when the room gets its light — a wall that is bright at eight in the morning and grey by six wants a different palette than one lit by lamps all evening.
Then let the choosing be unreasonable. Abstract work is not solved like a puzzle; you do not need to identify what it depicts before you are allowed to like it. Tate describes abstract art as work that does not attempt to represent an accurate view of visible reality — which means there is nothing to get right. If a painting keeps pulling your eye back across the room, that is the whole signal.
Two practical notes worth reading before you come: choosing the scale for a wall and what to ask before you buy.
What if nothing on the wall is quite right?
Then say so on the visit, or on the phone before it. Two things can follow. Sometimes a piece exists that is not currently hanging — the catalogue moves, and what is on the website is not always everything in the building.
The other route is a commission: a painting made for your wall, at your proportions, in a direction agreed with the artist before anything is started. That is a real answer for an odd-shaped space — a long low wall, a tall narrow strip beside a staircase — where almost nothing ready-made is cut to fit. How it works is set out on our commission a painting page.
Neither is a sales tactic. If the honest answer is that the wall does not want a painting on it, you will hear that too.
What happens on a visit, and what does it cost?
Nothing, and nothing. You call, we agree a time, and you come and look. There is no viewing fee, no pressure to decide on the day, and no obligation attached to asking about a piece. People come, look, leave, and come back three weeks later — that is normal and it is a better way to buy a painting than deciding in ten minutes.
Prices are on request, on every piece, sitewide. Ask about a specific work by phone or email and you get a straight answer for that work. There is no online checkout here: enquiries only, so that a real conversation happens before anyone commits to anything. You can read more about the artist on the about page, or send a question through the contact page if calling is awkward.
Questions people ask
Is the gallery in Toronto?
It is in Markham, at 473 Simonston Blvd, inside the Greater Toronto Area and roughly twenty minutes north of North York. It serves Toronto, Thornhill, Richmond Hill and Vaughan, but the address itself is Markham.
Can I just drop in?
It is open daily 9:00 to 18:00, but viewings are by appointment so that someone is there to let you in and talk you through the work. A phone call the day before is usually enough.
Are these paintings available as prints?
No. Each piece is a one-off original and is not reproduced as a print or an edition afterwards. When a painting is sold, it is gone.
How much are the paintings?
Prices are on request for every work. Ask about the specific piece you have in mind, by phone or through the contact page, and you will get a straight answer for that painting.
How do I know a piece is still available?
Sold work is labelled Sold or Private Collection on its page; anything unlabelled is available. The catalogue does move, so if a piece matters to you it is worth confirming on the call.
