Contemporary

Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world.

  • In Our Nature

    *Please note: this was a temporary mural installation.
    In our Nature is a community-minded multidisciplinary public art project that celebrates Women of Colour in the Scarborough community through five mural panel installations and musical performances. The murals will spotlight BIPOC women in Scarborough, who are active in community work, and feature them in a green space, changing the narrative around this group’s access, perceived safety and sense of belonging in public spaces. The artwork will purposefully degrade over time to reveal the underset images of the featured individuals beneath the greenery – their faces will be seen emerging from the ground. This is a 2021 City of Toronto Cultural Hotspot Signature Project in partnership with Mural Routes, the E.W.O.C. Project, the Community Arts Guild and the Toronto Zoo.

  • Time to Heal; and truth before reconciliation

    All four signal box locations explore Time in different ways; from traditional Chinese calligraphy with historical photos of Chinatown, and the history shared by Tsúùt’ínà artist about his ancestor Chief Bullhead and Fort Calgary, to stylised tigers inspired by the colours of Cantonese opera, to age-old medicinal remedies that have survived many generations, to contemporary Canto phraseology and street calligraphy.

  • FUTURA at Assembly Park

    Futura (2021) a vibrant and innovative mural activation by Andre Kan serves as a significant landmark at The Assembly Park Studios in the City of Vaughan. His geometric shapes build upon one another creating a sense of interconnection, and reminding us how we are all connected in this world. Through the significance of cause and effect, this energetic, multilayered landscape is his abstract interpretation of the city’s unique future – a high-spirited dynamic blueprint of various forms coming together. Unified, bold, and in harmony, this architectural piece depicts a number of structural components and signifies the importance of creating a foundation that can be built beyond itself.

  • Sound of Water

    This mural advocates for wildlife and water conservation by reintegrating the water, its inhabitants and local plant specimens back into the city allowing community members to reconnect with nature, water and the land they live on.

  • Kind of Blue

    Huge thank you to @kj.bit for putting on an amazing Mentor and Mentee mural jam in Oct 2021.

    This is the garage I got and I immediately saw a piano. I wanted to transform the windows into black keys that glow at night. It is a whimsical play on a jazz pianist.

  • Transformation “The WOW mural”

    This mural, 9 stories tall celebrates Ottawa’s diversity, underlines the importance of inclusion and enhances awareness of the contributions of newcomers to Ottawa.
    Dedicated to immigrants and refugees. This mural depicts the eyes of Canada’s diversity, generosity and compassion. Created with the participation of almost 90 people from the community as the WOW, Welcome Ottawa Week.

  • Garth Worthington School Mural

    Playing around a concept powered by creativity, imagination, diversity, and exploration, just some of the many aspects that schools encompass. The mural is painted in an abstract style where a bold, captivating mural is created through an array of hidden imagery with meaning to be found. The abstract style allows for a unique experience as everyone’s eye and mind interpretates colours, forms, and shapes differently.

  • Soul of Limoilou

    This mural was commissioned by Quebec Nova Murale, a new non-profit organization aimed at installing murals in the neighborhood of Limoilou in Quebec City. I was the first artist to be asked to do a mural in the neighborhood and the first mural artist from Ontario to get government funding in Quebec.

  • Playing with Fire and Ice

    Shackleton created a 50-foot-long mural for her public exhibition at the Art Gallery of Northumberland. The painting depicts the lasting effects of climate change in Canada. Images of melting glaciers float amongst local architectural elements, which are met by the scorched limbs of a burning forest. Complete with the use of her signature drip painting technique, Shackleton transforms the Gallery’s walls into a fully immersive encounter.

  • The Willowdale Basketball Court

    The basketball court design is based on feedback from a community consultation. Residents decided to have a logo inside the centre circle that represents Willowdale. The logo needed to reflect the willow trees that grow in the area and represent their energizing games with a lightning bolt. While painting the court, the artist met a few basketball players who looked pretty excited to watch their lightning idea manifest! To best identify the type of tree, Pam focused on realistic silhouettes of long and narrow willow leaves. The transparent overlaps are white to add extra spark to the overall effect. Lastly, the leafy pattern and bolt are positioned to look right-side-up for both teams while standing on each side of the court.

  • Our Relations

    “Our Relations” is a community-engaged sculpturesque mural in Vanier neighbourhood of Ottawa that fused Indigenous and multicultural aesthetic representing the neighbourhood.

    This was a collaboration between the lead artist Kseniya Tsoy, Anishnaabe artist Mark Seabrook and an installation artist Tito Medina, who are newcomer, Indigenous and refugee artists respectively.
    This mural was funded by the Diversity in the Arts Program of the City of Ottawa and the Vanier BIA.