Katerina Mertikas
Katerina Mertikas is a Canadian artist known for her vibrant, expressionistic paintings that capture the joy and innocence of childhood. Working in a naïve style, her colour-rich scenes depict Canadian traditions and landscapes with emotional clarity and universal appeal. Painting professionally since 1992, Mertikas’s work has been featured internationally, including by UNICEF. She continues to create from a place of optimism and warmth, offering collectors uplifting imagery grounded in everyday moments.Katerina Mertikas was born in Greece but has lived in Canada most of her life. She has been painting professionally since 1992. The joy depicted in her paintings and her genius as a colourist have won her the admiration of art collectors across Canada and beyond.
Initially, her two daughters were the inspiration for her whimsical, colourful works of art, and it’s through those early years that her work flourished, showing a happy side of life. Now, her five grandchildren are her inspiration.
As a naïve expressionistic and world-recognized artist, her works are characterized by a refreshing innocence and a charming use of bright colours. The near-universal appeal of Katerina’s exhilarating paintings portrays simple, easily understandable, and often idealized scenes of childhood—bustling with colour and excitement. Her paintings are full of originality and creatively capture scenes of the Canadian landscape, its seasons, and popular traditions.
She does not seek to change the world through her art, but rather to help the viewer and art collector turn to the simpler things in life—those that warm the heart and soothe the soul.
Many of her paintings have been featured on UNICEF cards sold internationally since 1993. She was also the first Ottawa artist to have her works accepted by UNICEF. Katerina has received several awards from her peers and has also received the United Way Community Builder Award.
Katerina believes in giving back to the community at large and does so through donations of her paintings and time for many worthy charities and organizations, such as local hospitals, greeting card companies, the Children’s Aid Society, and women’s shelters, to name a few.
Katerina has illustrated two books: Days to Treasure: A Book of Seasons and We Stand on Guard.
One of Katerina’s paintings hangs in the Ottawa Mayor’s boardroom, titled Honouring My Father. The original painting was also turned into a limited-edition print by Koyman Galleries, with the support of Ottawa City Hall, Postmedia, and other news outlets. The print was sold worldwide and raised $75,000 for slain Corporal Nathan Cirillo’s son, Marcus.
Katerina’s works are sold at Koyman Galleries.
