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.

  • Bump

    My practice is an investigation into how nature acts as a crossroad for developing concepts such as growth, death, adaptation, and cooperation, and perhaps most importantly, our emotional and physical selves. My work is whimsical, ethereal, playful and vibrant. I am inspired by the interplay between humans and
    animals, folklore, myths, and the power of narrative based artwork. I am interested in how images can create worlds that tell stories in which the viewer is invited to free their minds to imagine and fantasize without limitations.

  • Unnamed

    Exploring the shared iconographic relationships and cultural usage of Buffalo, Deer and Elk hide in First Nation cultural storytelling in addition to the Romanticised ‘Western’ Aesthetic of North America.

  • Buffalo Nations Stand and Be Noticed

    The Buffalo with the Camp and simple landscape represents all the Buffalo Nations that hunted and lived off the Buffalo. The dragonflies represents the month
    of August and also I wanted to tie the Beltline mural project with it…. during August and late July the dragonflies are in full effect and is good to help time the
    changes in the seasons. Under them are traditional otter designs which are common design in Treaty7 territory. The riders are youth and elder riding together
    representing parenting, mentoring, and the balance.

  • Joy & Fertility

    This mural was imagined during the lockdown because that’s when human activity slowed down and nature was able to catch its breath. I represented this return of nature to the city through these two goddesses.

  • Entanglements

    I have a deep appreciation for the place-based nature of murals, so usually when visiting a place to paint a mural I start by getting a sense of the Calgary area including the flora and fauna. I have done this many times, but the process of studying the Calgary ecosystem in Calgary was peculiar because it was so
    familiar to me; I had lived in Alberta (including Calgary) for my entire life until I left ten years ago. The beings I was learning about as I spoke to Calgary experts, read books and websites, and walked around Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, including aspen trees, grasses such as grandma’s eyelash, dogwood, and pussy willow, had surrounded me when I was young to the extent that at one point I thought they were everywhere and saw right past them. What I once thought of as ubiquitous is actually very fragile and rare: the grassland ecosystem is among the most endangered in the world due to monocropping (see this photo we took on the way out). These discoveries had me reflecting on how strange and interconnected our lives are and visiting an old city had me doing the same, so I represented this through creating a dense study of plants interlocking with each other. The Calcutta Cricket Club has already created an environment full of lush natural beauty, so it was a nice place to create a mural encouraging passers by to see their natural surroundings with fresh eyes.

  • Tinkiling & B-Boy

    This mural highlights the importance of dance in FilipinX culture through the ages. The FilipinX dancer on the right is doing a traditional dance called the “Tinikling”, mimicking a bird’s speed and grace as it navigates bamboo poles. The bird behind the woman is known as “Tikling” which is what inspired the traditional dance.

  • Untitled

    Garage door mural by Kara Pyle for the 2023 KJ BIT Laneway jam, with the theme “GLOW.” Supported by Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council.

  • Unknown

    Waterfront BIA utility box artwork by Nelson Wu (@instant_onion). Original artwork was part of “Midsummer Mix Vol. 1” including music by biosphere, as part of a “Playing in Public” series led by The Bentway Conservancy and sponsored by the Waterfront BIA.

    The Waterfront BIA decided to expand on Nelson’s art with a more permanent home by adding it to the utility boxes along Toronto’s waterfront.

  • Untitled

    Mural by Phillip Saunders (@ahayahisone) for the 2022 KJ BIT Laneway jam, with the theme “INSPIRE.” Supported by Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council.

  • Untitled

    Garage door mural by Breetwo for the 2023 KJ BIT Laneway jam, with the theme “GLOW.” Supported by Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council.

  • Morning Sun

    Garage door mural titled “Morning Sun” by Florence Solis for the 2023 KJ BIT Laneway jam, with the theme “GLOW.” Supported by Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council.

  • Untitled

    Garage door mural by Cesar AR for the 2023 KJ BIT Laneway jam, with the theme “GLOW.” Supported by Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council.

  • Water is Life

    The project, an initiative inspired by Murdoch and acclaimed artist and activist Christi Belcourt, was designed to help the two artists get their message out to the public. That message, noted Murdoch “is simply to create awareness that water is important to us all and as such we are encouraging every Canadian to stand up and do something positive for the environment. If we can find the strength and resolve to work together for the betterment of the planet, then we have taken a step forward in helping to ensure that humankind will be able to survive well into the future. You cannot overstate the importance of a healthy environment and that begins by protecting our water. To emphasize that importance, we became involved in creating two murals on the same weekend, one in Edmonton and the other in Ottawa.

  • Valley Wall

    I have been intrigued with the city built along the river and its valley. The potential for a healthy city is, in every respect, as limitless as the park’s nature to grow in harmony with the city.