Throughout his career, Charles Pachter has focused on the symbols of Canadian identity, particularly on the historical and cultural events of national importance in a manner that has both questioned and celebrated Canadian life. Strongly influenced by the Group of Seven, his multidisciplinary practice has long examined Canadian culture and has placed him as an important artistic commentator for over 50 years.

In addition to his inclusion in many public and private collections in Canada, Pachter has established his own sizeable and award winning art galleries in Orillia and Toronto, which are open to the public and promote his artistic legacy.

Though now an iconic part of his oeuvre, in 1972 Pachter made national headlines in Canada for painting a picture of Queen Elizabeth II riding a moose. While it initially provoked strong opinions from Royalists, the image of the moose (and Queen Elizabeth II) have become an enduring, humorous trope of Canadian identity in his work.