Through my camera I capture Toronto as it is; through my illustrations I imagine Toronto as it could be.

The City Belongs to Us

Gallery Series, 2024

Colour Photography, Acrylic on glass

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?

Check out "The City Belongs To Us" gallery display.

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"Homesick" Gallery Series

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