Artist Bio

Andrew Csafordi
Encaustic Sculptural Painter

Andrew Csafordi was born in Bowmanville in 1955. At the age of nine his family moved to Oshawa, Ontario. At age 19, he then moved to Toronto to attend OCA (Ontario College of Art) ... today known as OCADU.

His strict Hungarian parents did not always see art as being something to devote one’s life, but at a very early age, Andrew was drawing and painting and showed great promise.

"My father finally saw that the passion of art was inside me and it had to come out. With reluctance, they supported me - not that they had much choice in the matter. I was drawing on everything from the driveway and walls and on every bit of paper that was around the house."

"My father showed me how to build things, mix concrete, work with wood, and paint... walls that is and how to make and fix things. To him, art was frivolous but I think in his own way, he too was an artist, you could tell the way he liked to build. My dad had a work shop in the basement with all kinds of tools and jars of nuts, bolts, nails, and just lots of "stuff" that he collected (that he would need one day) I loved being in there to see what new items I could find and just make things, gismos. but I think in his own way, he too was an artist, you could tell the way he liked to build. My dad had a work shop in the basement with all kinds of tools and jars of nuts, bolts, nails, and just lots of "stuff" that he collected (that he would need one day) I loved being in there to see what new items I could find and just make things, gismos. My mother saw that creativity and art was my way of living and seeing things, like being a pastry chef was to her. Together we would often create in the kitchen, I would "assist" as she created fantastic pastries and cakes. Testing/tasting the crusty edges of baked goods was my favourite job. My mother taught me that attention to detail always makes for a better finished product. That the joy was in taking care and taking time perfecting ones skill. Her desserts became a work of art."

In high school, Andrew's art teacher became his mentor. He saw that art was Andrew's passion and that he loved all aspects of art and drawing. Harold McNamara helped Andrew become the artist he is today.

Upon graduating from the Ontario College of Art where he majored in drawing & painting, design & communication, he continued to consistently paint, sculpt and exhibit his art throughout his career as a designer, illustrator and creative director of his own graphic design studio. Andrew has created paintings and sculptures for both his corporate and personal clients.

“Good design has always been part of the way I see all things, and create art.” Many of the same principals apply to both fine art and great design: balance, composition, contrast, etc. They all play a role. Today, when I work in my signature sculptural painting style, my experience as a designer comes into "play" with every new creation.”

For almost two decade, Andrew has devoted himself to encaustic painting.

While at OCA, he was influenced by many fine Canadian artists such as Hugh (Seaforth) Mackenzie, Graham Coughtry, Paul Young, Nobuo (Kobby) Kubota and Keith Rushton just to name a few. Their impact remains today. Each and every instructor at OCA was a master. Each instructor taught with passion. They all cared, and they all gave of their talents.

A.J. Casson of the Group of Seven was also a part time instructor at OCA at that time, he was an huge influence on Andrew who took classes with him. "While at OCA, Mr. Casson was quite elderly, in his late 70's. He knew his stuff, and was a very kind man. If you called ahead, you could still drop over to his studio. Everyone had great respect for him and Mr. Casson had respect for all of the young artists". (Alfred Joseph Casson May 17, 1898 – February 20, 1992).

"The full impact of art in my life all started to come together for me in high school. There, my art teacher was a gentle, understanding, talented man - Harold MacNamara - who made art seem magical. Drawings would flow out of his pencil. His drawing was like seeing music on paper. Anything was possible, he showed us all that we were all artists inside. The ability to draw or paint was a part of us all, it was what was inside that mattered. For me, even scribbling was fun and leads to ideas and paintings to this day. If you can scribble, you can create art."

"More recently, I had the privilege of knowing Otto Rogers, well known Canadian painter who also lived in Prince Edward County. We would send hours talking and analyzing paintings. Some of the artists that I also respect and find exceptional are Jasper James, Robert Motherwell, Gerhard Richter, Ansel Kiefer, Egon Schiele, Jean Dubuffet, Gustav Klimt, Albert Giacometti and Marc Franz to name a few."

Andrew has exhibited his encaustic sculptural paintings in several galleries and venues ... including the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery in Kleinberg, Ontario and at the Toronto Art Expo. His work is featured in numerous private and corporate collections across Canada.

In 2019, they opened their newly constructed ANDARA Gallery where they showcase and sell their fine art paintings and photography. ANDARA Gallery was awarded TripAdvisors "Traveller's Choice" Award in 2021, placing it among the top 10% of attractions worldwide. The Gallery is open year-round and online at andaragallery.com.

​Andrew CsafordiEncaustic Sculptural Painter

Andrew Csafordi
Encaustic Sculptural Painter