An artist and independent curator, Derek has worked with a variety of media and is known primarily for his oil on canvas paintings. Mainella was the curator of Mind Control Gallery from 2003-2006 and has assembled numerous independent curatorial projects since 2002. He has had several solo shows and has been in numerous groups shows in Toronto, as well as art fairs and group shows in New York and Europe. Mainella’s work can be found in private collections in Canada, Europe and the U.S., most notably alongside such significant artists as Karen Kilimnik, Jean- Michael Basquiat, Dana Schutz, John Currin and Jonathan Messe.