House of Secrets presents a new series of paintings by Calgary-based artist Karin McGinn. Inspired by the zodiac, jouissance, and the hidden self, the works explore themes of female empowerment, performance, and escapism.
Each painting begins as a staged and choreographed scene in which the artist performs, using costumes and theatrical props to construct fictional environments. These moments are documented and translated into luminous airbrushed compositions that blur fantasy and lived experience. The resulting paintings feel playful and immersive, unfolding like fragments of a larger narrative shaped by identity, transformation, and self-invention.
“My canvas becomes a place of reclamation to reimagine my own lived experiences and new ways of being in the world.”
Through a visual language that balances humour, sensuality, and symbolism, McGinn celebrates sisterhood and the feminine mystique, inviting viewers into a world that is both theatrical and intimate.
About the Artist
Karin McGinn is a Calgary-based artist working primarily in airbrush. Her practice explores the body as a site of personal mythology, drawing on performance, symbolism, and feminine archetypes to create surreal, narrative-driven paintings. McGinn holds an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design and a BFA with Distinction from the Alberta College of Art + Design (AUArts).