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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nJust a few of the special installations included Jess Lincoln\u2019s immersive large-scale \u201cAlcoves,” Olivia Mae Sinclair\u2019s textile “It Takes Two\u201d books, Nimea Ariana\u2019s \u201cJourney into the Unknown\u201d by means of five wall-to-floor scrolls, and the soft refrigeration of Shannyn Reid\u2019s \u201cAs It Seams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nText: Steve Rockwell, Photo: Roy Bernardi<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was perhaps the rainiest Artist Project yet – the rain pelted heavily, the skies were miserably gray – but that did not hinder the excitement for one of Toronto\u2019s most eclectic and vibrant showcases of independent artists and creatives. As I entered the doors of the Better Living Centre, I was met with the powerful, thumping bass from one of the guest DJ sets. People eagerly peeked into the exhibition as they waited to scan their tickets while artists happily greeted the visitors already inside, engaging in insightful conversations about their practice and contemporary art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Artist Project returns for 2024, the event brings back select artists from the previous year, showcasing both new and old artworks, a wide range of new artists working with various mediums, as well as new awe-inducing events including Pixel Heller’s performance and two runway shows, courtesy of Fashion Art Toronto (FAT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The opening night strongly kicked off with Pixel Heller\u2019s performance, featuring two stilt walkers dressed as Moko Jumbie masquerade characters, pay homage to the artist\u2019s cultural heritage and her community\u2019s resilience. Visitors bustled to get a closer view of the bright, multi-coloured capes and intricate masks adorned by the performers. As visitors followed along the performers\u2019 towering, confident gait through the exhibition space, they\u2019d also, in turn, accepted Heller\u2019s invite to celebrate diasporic representation in art, historically dominated by western colonial narratives, as well as embrace communities bridged by dynamic art and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPixel Heller\u2019s performance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this year’s project, Dionne Simpson returns with her \u201cUnder Construction\u201d series, featuring two large scale pieces worked on for over ten years. Here, Dionne meticulously experiments with canvas, paint, jewelry, and Letrasets to create works that fuse poetic text, fine art painting, and texture play – intimate yet indirect symbolizations of her identity, memories, and personal experiences. For instance, the first work of \u201cUnder Construction\u201d explores the childhood cruelties Dionne once faced, being called Medusa by class peers due to her \u201cwild, untamed\u201d hair. As Dionne spends a long amount of time developing an artwork, she regards them as her \u201cbabies,\u201d though work that is more vulnerable feels like a part of her. Through her work, one gets a tender vision into both Dionne\u2019s world and her perception of ours.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDionne Simpson\u2019s booth<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Returning to Artist Project as well is Ph1 Studios. Run by couple Melissa and Petro Espina, their works revolve around an encaustic and photo transfer methodology to create nostalgic replications of Canadian urban landscapes. The photographs, taken during the couple’s \u201cphoto walks,\u201d unintentionally preserve parts of the city as it evolves, mapping routes through the city’s past. The smaller wood panels capturing Honest Ed’s storefront, once a notable Toronto landmark, take me back to my childhood – shopping with my mother, walking past the hallways with vintage photographs, and looking at handmade signs promoting their weekly bargains. Subsequently, their photographs of graffiti and street art help preserve an art form that is not intended for archival purposes. “Waking Up With You is a Luxury,” for example, photographs the titular text, graffitied onto a brick wall. Unsatisfied with the original photo, the artists wanted to return to the area and retake the photo the next day; however, the text had already been covered up. The photographs, though simple at first glance, are like visual diaries of the couple’s journey through different cities and an ode to urban landscapes simultaneously nostalgic, relatable, and immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWorks by Ph1 Studios<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artist Project also saw the works of OCADU alumni, including Olivia Mae Sinclair <\/a>and Katarina Holbrough. Olivia reuses scrap fabrics, screen-print, and hand-sewing to craft poetry books that offer glimpses into the complexities of being a young, contemporary woman artist. The edges of the books remain unrefined, the stitching is crude yet confident, while signs in the artist\u2019s booth encourage visitors to touch and flip through the works displayed. Here, Olivia seeks to make intuitive work that defies the conventions of prestigious art, aiming to make art more accessible. Katarina, coming from a curatorial and painting background, is focused on subtle abstractions of the figure and landscapes, creating dreamy representations of realism.<\/p>\n\n\n Olivia Mae Sinclair<\/p>\n\n\n Katarina Holbrough<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the night came to a close, Fashion Art Toronto hosted two runway events featuring the work of independent designers Ashes and House of Etoile. The models of Ashes walked in plain yet stunning crochet and linen sets. Amid the staggering rise of fast fashion and microtrends, which sees clothes unethically mass-produced and discarded, Ashes honors the merit and timelessness of handcrafted fashion using domestic materials.<\/p>\n\n\n Performance by Ashes<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reciprocally, House of Etoile showcased a line of maximalist couture garments. The designs of Prada Lola Faraji were experimental and whimsical, evoking contemporary reimaginations of Alice in Wonderland. During Etoile\u2019s show, a model began plucking cards off of his bolero, constructed of playing cards, and tossed them into the crowd. Undoubtedly, Etoile encapsulated viewers by both the uniqueness of the collection and the energy from the models.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n