Cinders McLeod
DRAWS THE LINE
An online feature accompanying the solo show at
The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto, 14 Elm St, Toronto, M5G 1G7
August 29–October 3, 2026
Mon-Fri, 9 AM – 8 PM
The John B. Aird Gallery is thrilled to announce Cinders McLeod’s solo exhibition, Draws the Line, at the Arts & Letters Club.
McLeod’s images bring the contradictions of everyday life into sharp focus: love meets obstacles of its own making, domestic work becomes a question of economic power, and children reveal the strange logic of the adult world.
Draws the Line brings together works from different periods of her practice, including early performance and newspaper cartoons that provide context for images she has revisited in recent paintings.
The exhibition presents an analysis of McLeod’s work alongside images attributed to Banksy, drawing attention to visual similarities, questions of authorship, and the unequal recognition artists can receive.
Through these comparisons, the show also examines the broader systems of power that shape the art world, including patriarchy, sexism, plagiarism, and the barriers women artists can face in having their work acknowledged and credited. The exhibition invites viewers to consider not only where images come from, but also who is recognized, believed, and remembered within cultural institutions.
An accompanying catalogue expands on these themes and documents selected works and comparisons from the exhibition. Together, the exhibition and catalogue invite viewers to consider not only where images come from, but also who is recognized, believed, and remembered within cultural institutions.
CBC Presents Fresh Air with Ismaila Alfa
Cinders McLeod Draws the Line: An artist points out the similarities between her work and Banksy’s.
Aired: Sep. 5, 2026
Cinder appears on CBC’s Fresh Air with Ismaila Alfa to discuss her exhibition and the striking similarities between her art and Banksy’s.
BIOGRAPHY
Cinders McLeod was born in Toronto, and moved to Britain in 1979. She was educated at Harrow College, London, (Film, Photography, Television, BaHons) and Dartington College, Devon, (Art in a Social Context, Dip HE, Distinction). During this time, Cinders was also a singer, songwriter and doublebassist in a 2-woman band called Clea and McLeod, which toured Britain and Europe and cut a record (Beyond our Means) on Billy Bragg’s Utility Label.
She moved from London to Scotland in 1992, where she focused on her cartoon work and raising children. She illustrated one-offs, and long-running columns in The Glasgow Herald, The Scotsman and The Express. She also cartooned for The Guardian and The Independent, and created her own political cartoon called Broomie Law for The Glasgow Herald. A selection of these cartoons was published by Luath Press, Edinburgh, in 2000.
Cinders moved back to Canada in 2001, and worked for The Globe and Mail as an editorial cartoonist, then, as an art director, cartoonist and designer. Her work was recognized by the Society of Newspaper Design, National Magazine Awards, National Newspaper Awards, Advertising and Design Club of Canada, and The Guinness Book of Records.
Cinders left The Globe and Mail in 2013, to focus on her own projects which include a historical novel called The Index of Bastardy, and The Moneybunny series of children’s books, published by Penguin N.Y., which teach children about financial literacy. The 6 books to date have become international best sellers, published in 19 countries around the world, and reached their millionth sale in China last year. In 2021 Cinders incorporated her own company, Moneybunnies® Inc., and created a Moneybunnies® board and card game.
Her current exhibition shows how Banksy was influenced by the art she created while living in Scotland. Beyond that, her art has been exhibited in Canada, Britain and Europe.
Photo credit: Arnie Guha
To learn more, visit:
cindersmcleod.com | moneybunnies.com
