Marisa Portolese was born in Montreal, Quebec, where she currently lives and works. She is an Associate Professor in the Photography Program in the Faculty of Fine Arts, at Concordia University. Portraiture, representations of women, narrative, autobiography and the figure in nature, are major and recurrent subjects in her practice. Upon graduating with an MFA degree from Concordia University in 2001, she has produced many photographic projects, which have received critical acclaim. She has three published monographs: Un Chevreuil à la Fenêtre de ma Chambre (2003), Antonia’s Garden (2012) and In the Studio with Notman (2018). Alongside her exhibition record, critics have written about her work in various journals, magazines, newspapers, art books and periodicals. She is the recipient of several awards and numerous grants from the Canada and Québec Arts Councils, as well as the DuMaurier Arts Foundation. Her work is part of private and public collections.