Toby Rabinowitz: A World Within A World

The purpose of my work is to support peace in the universe and the general well-being of all people.” - Toby Rabinowitz

Toby Rabinowitz is a beloved St. John’s artist whose work radiates warmth and vitality. For over 30 years, she has worked with drawing, painting, photography, embroidery, and clay, finding endless inspiration in the natural world. For Toby, making art is both a personal calling, and an invitation for viewers to experience joy and delight in the possibilities of creativity.

A World Within A World gathers a lively community of creatures, places, and stories. Birds, butterflies, tomatoes, and trees all appear with personality and spirit, inviting us to see them as companions in the world we share. Together, they reflect Toby’s lifelong creative journey, shaped by curiosity, kindness, and a belief in the everyday magic that surrounds us all.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a full-colour catalogue, to be released in Winter 2026.
 

About the Artist

Toby Rabinowitz (b. 1969, Seattle, Washington, USA) was raised on a beautiful farm in Portugal Cove–St. Philip’s, NL, with her family. Toby studied art at Maharishi International University (Fairfield, Iowa, US), Avalon Community College (St. John’s, NL), and Stephenville’s Western Community College (now College of the North Atlantic, Bay St. George, NL). She refined her practice under mentors including Kathleen Knowling, Gerald Squires, Luben Boykov, and Valerie Hodder, among others. She recently completed a Parks Canada AiR residency at Gros Morne National Park and is included in the 2025 Bonavista Biennale. Held in private and public collections nationwide, Toby’s art is represented by The Leyton Gallery of Fine Art, St. John’s, NL.
 

About the Curators

Rose Bouthillier is a contemporary art curator and writer based in Maberly, on the Bonavista Peninsula, NL. She joined Bonavista Biennale as Artistic Director in 2022.

Mireille Eagan is Curator of Contemporary Art at The Rooms.
 

Image: Toby Rabinowitz, The Secret Castle, 2022, Ink on paper, 45.72 x 60.96 cm, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Collection, The Rooms.