Artist Statement
The City Belongs to Us (2023)
Colour Photography, Acrylic on glass
Through my camera I capture Toronto as it is; through my illustrations I imagine Toronto as it could be.
This series examines the excessive space that Canadian cities dedicate to vehicles, using my current home of Toronto as the canvas. My illustrations invite the viewer to enter an alternate reality through the lens of ecological urbanism, new urbanism, and sustainable transportation. Changing infrastructure in cities to incorporate and exploit nature is not a new idea; the concept of ecological urbanism first appeared in urban planning in the late 20th century to address issues of sustainability. Long before this architectural movement, Indigenous communities across this land cared and advocated for the natural world in our urban centers. As our world navigates through the climate crisis, our communities need to grapple with making large changes to our lifestyle.
I strive to use second hand materials in my work or create work that can be reused and repurposed. As such, I used thrifted frames and painted with acrylics on top of the glass. This means the piece is not permanent and the frames can be scraped clean and reused after I am done with my work. This piece questions conventions in fine arts to mutually urge viewers to question their conventions of city streets. Why do we dedicate so much space to vehicles? When did we decide that the city should be dedicated to individuals passing through rather than the population occupying that space? How could we evolve the city to be more inclusive of people and nature?
Urban Explorer (2023)
Digital collage and illustration
The Urban Explorer believes that nature should be accessible to everyone, with the goal of breaking down socio-economic barriers that are inherent with accessing nature in a city. With each issue I strive to inspire new-comers and experienced explorers to connect with nature in meaningful ways.
My goal when making this magazine is to make a piece of art that can also be a utility. I am targeting nature lovers and novices alike to have a portable magazine that they can pick up use as a map to lead them on an adventure or sit down with a coffee to read stories about different ways people access nature in cities. I was inspired by Posterzine – a foldable magazine where each issue becomes its own poster, and The Featherhead Review – a magazine that takes on a unique form each issue. I was also inspired by my love of nature, bird watching, and the desire I have for a space to learn about nature access points in downtown Toronto.