About

 
Gina Canter is an LA based artist who studied art and design at the University of Michigan. Born and raised in a deli in Los Angeles, Gina fell in love with portraiture at a young age. Photographing her brother’s band at the Whiskey A Go Go at age 14, it was clear Gina’s passion in art had a focus on people.

Gina has worked at local contemporary art galleries including Mouche Gallery in Beverly Hills. Throughout her studies, she experimented with modernity. Gina’s experiences living abroad in Madrid made her re-think the definition of art, of modernity, and of what encompasses fine art. Modernity captured by Spanish artist like Picasso and Dali attracted Gina back to the Reina Sofia Museum after school. Memorized by Picasso’s “Guernica”, Gina was fascinated by Picasso’s ability to articulate the bombing of 1937 through a modern technique of cubism. The shapes captivated her attention while leaving her questioning her own work and path as an artist.

In 2016, she won the Ross School of Business art competition with her 3 series Monet inspired rendition of the new business wing, Blau. She was recognized for her work by Steven Ross and Jeff Blau at the ribbon cutting and opening ceremony. The painting is framed in the wing. Graduating in 2017, she has since been creating a collection of acrylic portraits. In 2018, Gina was commissioned to create a 10-piece collection for a large enterprise client. This collection was featured at the Soho House Miami at Art Basel 2018. Her work continues to be featured nationwide―she recently was commissioned for an NBA All-Stars 2019 event in Charlotte.

Gina most recently became an author, publishing her first book titled Stories on Rye: A collection of memories shared at Canter's Deli since 1931. Stories on Rye collects more than 100 stories from the famed LA deli’s patrons and employees, capturing their experiences and memories at Canter’s Deli since it first opened in 1931. Gina designed and illustrated the 256 page book. Her illustrations celebrate both the place and its patrons, as voices from the past join the present, to demonstrate that nostalgia can be very much alive. Like Canter’s Deli booths that have welcomed movie stars and presidents alongside countless everyday people, the book contains a vast range of memories. Most significant, perhaps, is its connection to the Jewish heritage, such as the holocaust survivor who reunites with her family at Canter’s after being separated for over 40 years. Hilarious, touching and perhaps a little magical, Stories on Rye are a testament to the human spirit, and to a restaurant that shares its legacy with each of its patrons. Her book can be purchased now on Amazon.