Samantha Waddell

Samantha Waddell is a Canadian (b. Newmarket) artist currently based in Kingston, Ontario. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where she specialized in oil painting. Having ridden horses for a decade, Waddell sees the horse as the perfect vehicle to explore the dynamism found in their movements. She evokes the power of the horse using bold overlapping shapes sculpting the mounts off of the canvas. Waddell explores the cultural significance of equestrian sport in society, specifically the Medieval tradition of the Palio races in Siena, Italy. Waddell investigates the importance of this equestrian tradition from the medieval period to the present day, as the horse acts as a physical and visual extension of civic pride and prosperity. Waddell uses alla prima painting to evoke energetic gestures in her portrayal of the horse. She is fascinated by the interplay between cool and warm colours, which she captures through layering bold shapes to turn the form. This relationship between light and colour inspires the painterly language within Waddell’s paintings. Waddell recently completed an internship through the National Gallery of Canada in the Canadian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, where she was inspired by the visual conversation created between the historic architecture around the lagoon and the international contemporary art community. Waddell is looking forward to continuing to explore her fascination with art in her master's in Art History at Queen’s University beginning in the fall of 2026.