Bio

Photo: Jenalle Los

Rose and Joy Broadbent are multidisciplinary artists based in Toronto. For a decade, the Broadbent Sisters have created international, award-winning work in performance, film, painting and installation. Their unfolding practice, ‘Clearing Spaces,’ examines themes of meditation, telepathy, eco-feminism, and pop spirituality. Over the years, their highly intuitive work asks viewers to enter vulnerable spaces as the Sisters build a mythology of meditative ritual. This evolving series, 'Clearing Spaces', has been celebrated in The Art Gallery of Ontario, The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, The Art Gallery of Peterborough, Steven Bulger Gallery, The Reach Gallery Museum, McInstosh Gallery, Festival Du Nouveau Cinema, TRAFO Centre for Contemporary Art, Katzman Contemporary, The Drake Hotel, and as part of the Sunday Drive Art Projects. They were the Art Directors for the 2016 edition of the AGO Massive Party. The Sisters were awarded the 2017 Burtynsky Grant for 'A Telepathic Book'. They collaborated with Google in 2018 to create an interactive exhibition and art phone cases that were sold worldwide. In November of 2019, they created a meditative pod installation for Facebook. In 2021 they won awards for the Cannes World Film Festival and the Paris Cinema Awards for their performative latest short films. Joy and Rose continue to find collaboration to be a unique venue for distilling the essence of form and exploring telepathic ways of creating.


Hermann & Audrey state the Broadbent Sisters are "Strongly connected, their multidisciplinary and meditative approach to art creates a fresh and unique experience for the community. Delving in everything from painting to performance and sculpture, the Broadbent sisters transform everyday spaces into magical and nurturing realms where sparkles are swept and energy flows." 

BROADBENT SISTERS
Studio 835
835 Bloor St W
Toronto ON
M6G1M1

E: broadbentsisters@gmail.com


 

EXHIBITIONS

CURRENT

'DOE: Divine Omni Era' | MCA Gallery | Toronto ON | Jul - Aug 2024

 

PAST

'Current Sea' | MCA Gallery,  PEC ON | Jan 2024

'The Awakening: Mirrors of The Mind' | Art Comp 100 Kellogg,  London ON | May 2023

'The Levitation' | Museum London, London ON | Oct - Dec, 2022

'OH! WELL!' | stackt Market, Toronto ON | May - July, 2022

'Glimmers Of The Radiant Real' | The Reach Gallery Museum, BC | January – May, 2020

'Miracles' | KONTORT, Toronto, ON | Jan, 2020

'Blue Garden' | stackt Market, Toronto ON | Dec 4 - 14, 2019

'A Telepathic Film - World Premiere' | Festival Du Nouveau Cinema, Montreal | Oct 11, 2019

'Venus Rising' | Funhouse Toronto, Toronto ON | June - Nov, 2019

'Now Here Home' | stackt Market, Toronto ON | Sept 9 - Nov 1, 2019

'Glimmers Of The Radiant Real' | McIntosh Gallery, London, ON | January 17 – March 16, 2019

'Glimmers Of The Radiant Real' | Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough, ON | October 13, 2018 – January 6, 2019

'(W)Omen' | Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto | Nov 17, 2018

'Glimmers Of The Radiant Real' | The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa | May 12 - Sept 9, 2018

'A Telepathic Book' Show | Black Cat Gallery, Toronto | May 5 - 15, 2018

'A Telepathic Book' Launch | Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto | May 1, 2018

'Into The Fire' | Make Good Gallery, Toronto | Aug 4 - 18, 2017

'All Day Breakfast' | FCP Gallery, Toronto | Jun 12 - 21, 2017

'Gilded Pleasures' | Drake Commissary, Toronto | Jun 7 - 8, 2017

'Nowhere, Now Here' | Katzman Contemporary, Toronto | Feb 3 - Mar 11, 2017

'The Image You Seek Is Nowhere' | The Drake General Store, Toronto | July 5, 2016

'Midnight Massive' | Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto  | Apr 21, 2016

'Living Room' | HUNTCLUB, Toronto | Oct 22, 2015

'Clearing Spaces V - World Premiere' | Festival Du Nouveau Cinema, Montreal | Oct 10, 2015

'The One That Got Away' | Artscape Youngplace, Toronto | June 15, 2015

'HOTBED' Massive Party | Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto | Apr 23, 2015

'Clearing Spaces VI' for Shelf Life, Presented by Carbon Paper | Ryerson Artspace, Toronto | Mar, 27, 2015

'Clearing Spaces IV' | STUDIO 835, Toronto | Oct 4, 2014

'Clearing Spaces III' | SUNDAY DRIVE, Warkworth ON | August 23 - September 7, 2014

'Clearing Spaces II' | HUNTCLUB, Toronto | May 1 2014

'Clearing Spaces I' | HUNTCLUB, Toronto | Feb 6 2014

'Still Moving' | HUNTCLUB, Toronto | Dec 12 2013

'Creative Type' | COOPER COLE, Toronto | May 2013

'ASL' | HUNTCLUB, Toronto | April 2013

AWOL GALLERY Toronto | March 2013

'Boom By Boom' | STUDIO 835, Toronto | July 2012


AWARDS

Winner | 'Burtynsky Grant' | 2017 Burtynsky Grant awarded to The Broadbent Sisters for A Telepathic Book | Jun, 2017

Best Originality / Creativity | Worldwide Women’s Film Festival | “Clearing Spaces X” | Arizona 2022.

Best Mobile Phone Film (Short) | Cannes World Film Festival | “Clearing Spaces X”| Cannes 2021

Best Mobile Phone Film (Short) | Paris Cinema Awards | “Clearing Spaces X” | Paris 2021

Official Selection | Festival du Nouveau Cinema | “A Telepathic Film” | Montreal, 2019

Official Selection | Grrrrl Haus Cinema | “A Telepathic Film” | Berlin, 2019

Official Selection | Festival du Nouveau Cinema | “Clearing Spaces V” | Montreal, 2015


PRESS

Blog TO, “AGO Massive Party, A Weird & Wonderful Spectacle” | March 31, 2016 | MORE AT: blogto.com“The sisters were mesmerizing to watch and the themes mentioned in the exhibit's description (domestic life, meditation, femininity, religious ritual and pop spirituality) were effortlessly conveyed without the use of words or even overt actions.”

The Drake Blog | “Inside The Studio” | March 31, 2016 | MORE AT: thedrake.ca“(The Broadbent Sisters’) work is playful yet substantial…their bond as sisters and artists is one that is truly sacred and divine.” 

Hermann & Audrey | "Toronto The Brave" | April 6, 2014 | MORE AT: hermannaudrey.com

"Strongly connected, their multidisciplinary and meditative approach to art creates a fresh and unique experience for the community. Delving in everything from painting to performance and sculpture, the Broadbent sisters transform everyday spaces into magical and nurturing realms where sparkles are swept and energy flows."

The National Post | "Five things to do: June 30-July 6" | Jun 29, 2012 | MORE AT: news.nationalpost.ca

"Just in time for fireworks season, these bear some kinship to the work of line artist Sol LeWitt, belied by a visceral pleasure in organized chaos that’s not unlike one gets while starting deeply into piece of abstract expressionism."

Torontoist | "Urban Planner" | Jun 28, 2012 | MORE AT: torontoist.com

"Boom by Boom is a multimedia exhibition that features fireworks in all their glory. The show takes Youtube screen grabs of fireworks shows and re-imagines them through blue ink (and a style that doesn’t look that dissimilar to Vincent van Gogh’s)."