Women Paint Archives - Mural Routes

Where We Find Our Roots

Where We Find our Roots celebrates the incredible beauty of the Don River and its surrounding waterways–paying tribute to the traditional keepers of the land, its current residents, and its potential futures.

Uplifting Each Other

I was immediately drawn to the theme of ‘uplifting each other’, it made me ask myself what does supporting women look like? What are the ways we can support women in our communities? What does it mean to uplift one another and ourselves? In my illustration, I try to explore various answers to these questions with colourful bodies of various sizes that sometimes energetically, sometimes compassionately, move and help others towards a better present/future.

Lilies of the Water

Inspired by the resilience of the natural world, this mural highlights nature’s survival through harsh and changing conditions of our urban environments.

Like nature, a human life’s journey isn’t always flowing easily towards our hopes and dreams, it often ebbs towards feelings of being lost and confused. This is part of the beauty of life and our perseverance; like a tough water lily thriving in its unique environment. After all, blossoming water lilies have emerged from the mud, evolving over many years to survive.

River Moon

Organizer: Riverside WomenPaint, East End Arts
Measurements: 24’x14’

Hajra

This mural is part of the Womxn Paint 2021 North Etobicoke project themed around resilience. Since the neighbourhood has a large population of immigrants, South Asians in particular, I used an image of a young South Asian woman in her traditional attire appreciating nature. Adjusting to her new world, like so many immigrant women she is naturally resilient and looks for something familiar to give her hope and strength.

Cygnet’s Dream

Cygnet’s Dream, part of Womxn Paint2021, North Etobicoke is based upon a personal retelling of the well known tale The Ugly Duckling. In the original story the cygnet was misidentified, misunderstood and mistreated by its community. My mural suggests a different narrative: allow the young swan to see its potential and feel accepted and supported by its community. This twist on the familiar anthropomorphic tale visualizes hidden potential, supporting the 2021Womxn Paint theme of “naturally resilience”. The Cygnet’s Dream celebrates inner strength, humanity’s relationship with the natural world and visualizes the important role community plays in the growth and well being of its community members.

A mural depicting an older figure looking skyward, painted in hyper realistic detail, painted on a garage door.

Grandmother

Womxn Paint, 2018, Toronto, On. 15’ x 20’ (300 square feet)

Created for the Womxn Paint festival in downtown, Toronto, a festival celebrating women in street arts, while revitalizing Toronto’s laneways.

Artists: Lacey and Layla Art (LALA)

Community Tree Mural for Womxn Paint

Based on the theme “Naturally Resilient”, these outreaching branches may also look like roots or rivers from Toronto’s ravines. The Canadian red and white gradients integrate into the system, representing Rexdale’s diversity. All backgrounds grow together, connect and share, making a unique neighborhood in North Etobicoke.

Mother Nature

The mural is located on the northern retaining wall along Finch Ave W between Kipling Ave and Islington Ave.

This year’s murals will visually share authentic stories that celebrate building strength, connection and community through developing our relationship with the natural world.
[Excerpt from: https://www.womenpaint.org/2019]

Artist: Desire Betty

Empowered Womxn Empower Womxn

Womxn Paint, with support from StreetARToronto, hosted a second jam August 10th — 19th , 2018 in the laneway between 136 McCaul Street and 39 D’Arcy Street. A talented mix of 30 emerging and mid-career artists transformed 4,225+ sq.ft into murals responding to the theme “Uplifting Each Other”.

Jieun Kim for Womxn Paint 2017

This mural is painted as part of Womxn Paint 2017. Womxn Paint aims to create a supportive community of female identified artists and to inspire young women to build meaningful careers through murals and community engagement. Womxn Paint brings together professional artists and community members and hold spaces where they feel empowered through art.