Best known for the jewelry and figurative sculptures based on a range of pharmaceutical drugs that garnered her widespread notoriety in the late 1990s, prolific artist Colleen Wolstenholme has also created abstract drawings and other works over the years that continue to stimulate dialogue and attract attention.
Born in 1963 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Wolstenholme became interested in visual arts while studying fashion design at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. After earning her bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1986, she continued her studies and received her master’s degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 1992, where she specialized in metal and jewelry arts.
Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, Wolstenholme worked with a range of mediums such as jewelry, sculpture, digital collage, painting and embroidery to create art that served as social criticism. Beginning in the mid-1990s, she made oversized plaster-cast sculptures and silver or gold jewelry that took the form of antidepressant pills and capsules in order to address several issues, including the fact that drugs are prescribed at disproportionate rates to women versus men, that the healthcare industry is overly reliant on prescribing drugs, and that anyone in treatment and on a course of medication is generally made to feel less healthy than those who aren’t. Wolstenholme’s provocative work made headlines in the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and Psychology Today.
Wolstenholme’s art has also seen her unpacking her interest in the human brain. This is demonstrated in such abstract sculptures as Deviant Grid, the “Matrix Index” series and Spatial Anomaly in which she depicts the brain’s neurons. In her “Hyperobjects” series, Wolstenholme also focuses on systems that “humans have little power over but control and constrain us.” These include figurative drawings and abstract drawings of wind patterns, titled with geographical coordinates.
Wolstenholme’s art is part of the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
On 1stDibs, find a range of Colleen Wolstenholme sculptures, drawings and watercolor paintings.
Glass Octopus Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Glass Squid Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Helmet Jellyfish Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010+
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Triptych Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010+, Unframed
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
$6,500
Holothurian Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010+, Unframed
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
$6,500
Into the Deep Blue Sea Painting, Contemporary Oil on Wood Panel, 2010+
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Bloody-Belly Comb Jelly Painting, Contemporary Oil on Wood, 2010+
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Yellow Ctenophore Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Into the Deep Triptych, Contemporary Oil on Wood Panel, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Into the Deep Triptych, Contemporary Oil on Wood Panel, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Into the Deep Triptych, Contemporary Oil on Wood Panel, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Into the Deep Triptych, Contemporary Oil on Wood Panel, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
$4,500
Solmissus Jelly Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 24x24, 2010+
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Pelagic Polychaete Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 24x24
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Barreleye Fish Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Unframed, 24x24
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
$4,500
Radiolarian Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, Unframed, 24x24
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Blanket Squid Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
Benthic Ctenophore Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Contemporary, 2010-
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,293
H 5.91 in W 7.88 in D 1.19 in
Landscape 05 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
By Frank Dekkers
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 05 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,293
H 5.91 in W 7.88 in D 1.19 in
Landscape 14 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
By Frank Dekkers
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 14 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,293
H 5.91 in W 7.88 in D 1.19 in
Landscape 16 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
By Frank Dekkers
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 16 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$750
H 10 in W 8 in D 0.5 in
"Rye", Small-Scale Contemporary Oil Painting of a Cat
By Kay Seohyung Lee
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Rye" is an original piece by Kay Seohyung Lee made from oil on panel. This piece measures 10"h x 8"w x 0.5"d and comes with a gallery-issued Certificate of Authenticity and is signe...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,293
H 5.91 in W 7.88 in D 1.19 in
Landscape 10 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
By Frank Dekkers
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 10 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$3,850
H 19 in W 13 in D 2 in
"EL SANTO FRISCO" Figurative Painting 19" x 13" inch by Isaac Pelayo
By Isaac Pelayo
Located in Culver City, CA
"EL SANTO FRISCO" Figurative Painting 19" x 13" inch by Isaac Pelayo Medium: Oil and aerosol on wood panel ABOUT THE ARTIST: Isaac Pelayo is a head on crash collision between The...
Oil, Spray Paint, Wood Panel
$4,623
H 17.33 in W 27.56 in
Marinas by Calo Carratalá - Set of 4 Landscape Paintings, Tanzania Coastline
By Calo Carratalá
Located in Paris, FR
Marinas n°9, n°18, n°29 & n°38 is a unique set of 4 oil on wood paintings by Spanish contemporary artist Calo Carratalá. Dimensions of each painting: 22 x 35 cm / 8.7 × 13.8 in E...
Oil, Wood Panel
$4,869
H 23.63 in W 31.5 in D 1.19 in
Rain - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
By Frank Dekkers
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Rain 60 x 80 cm (framed, included in price 77 x 97 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know him. Hi...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,293
H 5.91 in W 7.88 in D 1.19 in
Landscape 09 - 21st Century Contemporary Impressionistic Landscape Painting
By Frank Dekkers
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frank Dekkers Landscape 09 15 x 20 cm (framed, included in price 20 x 25 cm) oil on Panel About the artist: Frank Dekkers, an outdoor painter, but not a "square painter" as we know...
Oil, Wood Panel
$5,852
H 35.44 in W 27.56 in D 0.79 in
Interior with red walls- 21st Century Contemporary Interior Painting
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Serge de Vries, Dutch artist Interior with red walls 90 x 70 cm Oil on canvas A jug, a sugar bowl, a tea bag – these are objects that we hold carelessly every day, but Dutch fine p...
Oil, Wood Panel
$3,200
H 34 in W 32 in D 2 in
"Heroine (Intercessor)", Figurative Oil Painting, Seated Woman with Butterflies
By Paul Romano
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Heroine (Intercessor)" is an original oil painting by American artist Paul Romano. The piece ships ready-to-hang in the pictured artist-made frame, measuring 34in x 32in x 2in. Art...
Oil, Wood Panel
Finding the Sun
By Gwen Wong
Located in Atlanta, GA
Gwen Wong's work is both painterly and allegorical, caught somewhere in the middle between the representational painter and the narrator. "I am inspired by the idea of a childhood re...
Gold Leaf
Yellow Siphonophore
By Colleen Wolstenholme
Located in Montreal, Quebec
With Into the Deep Blue Sea, Nova Scotia-born, New Brunswick-based artist Colleen Wolstenholme presents a series of deep sea oil paintings and ink drawings, accompanied by a tent ins...
Oil, Wood Panel