Barbara Cole

In 2016, Barbara Cole was tasked with capturing the magic of Le Petit Prince in the way she knows best: through her underwater camera lens. To express in an image the enduring charm of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s universally adored novella—a seeming impossibility—was for the Toronto artist a challenge met with energy and enthusiasm. Alongside the celebrated set and costume designer Michael Levine, dancer and choreographer Guillaume Côté, and with First Soloists Tanya Howard and Dylan Tedaldi, Cole plunged underwater to create images characteristic of her signature, ethereal photographic style. Dancers glided, dived, dipped and floated up through their water stage, finding their characters through explorative movement. The shoot quickly became an exercise in letting go--of the predictable physics so essential to dance, of ordinary orientation and perspective, of reality itself as it gave way to the dreamy, gravity-defying world of Le Petit Prince.

Barbara Cole is an award-winning Canadian fine art photographer celebrated for her ethereal, painterly imagery and timeless visual language that blur the boundaries between photography, painting, and sculpture. Her distinctive style often featuring submerged figures, flowing fabrics, and soft, diffused light evokes themes of transformation, memory, and the natural world.

Based in Toronto, Cole has built an international reputation through decades of acclaimed work in fine art. Her large-scale installations and commissions include prominent public spaces such as the atrium of the M. Lau Breast Cancer Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital, where her immersive imagery enhances architectural environments with a sense of calm and reflection. Her renowned Underworld series has been exhibited globally, including at Canadian Embassies in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., further solidifying her presence on the international stage.

Cole’s practice has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Grand Prize at the Festival International de la Photographie de Mode in Cannes and honors at the International Photography Awards in New York. Her work has also been featured in the documentary series Snapshot: The Art of Photography II, highlighting her unique creative process and influence within the field of contemporary photography.

Collected by major institutions and private collectors worldwide, Barbara Cole’s photographs offer a rare combination of technical mastery and emotional resonance. Each piece invites viewers into a tranquil, otherworldly space. 

The artist's archival photographs are mounted to an archival substrate. Please contact the gallery regarding availability. Prices are subject to change as the editions sell out.