About the Artwork

LAND BACK is a take on the well-known “Thank You” plastic bags. The land Canada occupies was stolen by colonizers with deceitful treaties only to be destroyed. What they didn't understand was that the land was not owned by Indigenous peoples, it was in their stewardship. As Indigenous peoples, we fight for recognition of our nations' sovereignty, we fight for land and water, we fight for life.

Bekah is a multi-disciplinary artist of Anishinaabe and mixed European descent who grew up in northern Alberta on Dene territory. Her work reflects what she sees in society. She is continually learning her Anishinaabe culture, using her creative practices to connect and heal. She aims to use the platforms she can access to amplify the voices of Indigenous women and to foreground issues colonialism perpetuates.

About the Artwork

This is the Tagalog word for healing. This is also the Bisaya (my mother tongue) word for quiet. During the pandemic, I felt like the city was slowly healing amidst the inactivity and quiet on the streets. It's the beauty of those silences that I tried to capture in these images.

I am a nursing student and an amateur photographer from midtown Toronto. I am often found walking around neighbourhoods that I have never been to, equipped with my 35mm film camera. Film photography is meditation for me. My hope is that my photographs present a side of Toronto that has provided me those moments of stillness and peace of mind.

About the Artwork

This piece was inspired by Dough Ford's comments of there being no racism in Canada like the U.S. The depiction is how many people of colour are muted by these words and how it has gave other countries a false image of what happens in our country.

My art journey started at age four. It was my escape from my environment of poverty and violence and a way to Express what I couldn't verbalize. Growing up on comics, sci-fi, and black world history heavily influenced my work. I often tend to combine these things to not only tell my story, but also creatively show black representation. It is my mission to touch the emotions of my viewers and share knowledge. I also aim to bring light to issues such as metal health, colourism, and poverty.

About the Artwork

This is an ode to resilience, resistance, and overcoming. There's radioactive power behind that face, and the world is now ready to experience it. I fucks with that. 11 x 14" Acrylics on Recycled Canvas 2020 Thank you!

Jose Cifuentes is a thirty-four-year-old mixed media abstract artist from Medellin, Colombia. Jose moved his life and practice to Toronto, Canada, to find inspiration for his current chapter of creation. Known for manifesting varied visual representations of freedom, his art is a mixture of thick knife strokes with free-hand illustrations on canvas and recycled surfaces.

About the Artwork

This is part of an ongoing portrait series exploring connection. All analog photography. More details can be provided upon request. Thanks for the opportunity.

Nyaomi is a Toronto based photographer with experience shooting/exhibiting locally and internationally. In recent years, she has worked with Maclean’s, Sportsnet, LinkedIn, the City of Toronto and more. Inspired by her thesis, exploring alternative perspectives on depression, she started sewing pillows and embroidery pieces as another business venture. Nyaomi is an artist who continues to find ways to combine her passion to create with her interests in health and wellness.