The City Belongs To Us
2023 Illustrated Series, Best in Show displayed in the 'Leave Your Mark' Gallery Show
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?
To create this series, I started by walking around downtown Toronto to capture photos of spaces that I felt were being misused and over dedicated to vehicles.
After I captured the photos, I found traditional styled gold frames at a thrift store.
I started planning how I wanted the illustrated components of the piece to be incorporated on top of the photofraphs.
I laid out frames and illustrations so that they would flow together.
In addition to the illustrated frames, I wanted to add illustrated elements to the wall to draw the viewer into the piece. I printed organic shapes on vinyl sticker paper and then I added details with paint pen to make it more cohesive with the painted pieces.
I believe the pieces display the hope we have for the city with urban planning and what room is left for improvement.
