An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in published media.
Emily May Rose (she/her) is an award-winning artist and illustrator based in Toronto, Canada. Based on her own experiences, Emily’s work features a cast of recurring characters (most notably her weed-smoking, pizza-eating raccoons) to depict humorous situations that are relatable to many of us who are trying to survive in an urban environment.
Love and passion flow through the JVN brand and I wanted to capture this by depicting figures with beautiful flowing hair cascading through the design reminiscent of waterfalls.
The mural name is an Anishinaabe word that describes the experience of having been on a long journey, and returning home (returning to your true self).
The mural’s ‘Bees and Urban Pollinators’ theme recognizes Riverside’s hidden green spaces that maintain wildflowers and local hives, as well as the area’s growing bee-keeping culture in the east-end.
This design featuring forms and visuals drawn from nature aims to remind passersby of the restorative peace, solitude and joy that can be found in the natural world that is so inextricably linked with the city of Toronto.
Alquimia’ (Spanish for ‘alchemy’) is a mural in a semi-abstract style. Paying homage to the Riverside neighbourhood, the mural is an interpretation of the quote “This river I step in is not the river I stand in” that speaks of the inevitable nature of all things: Alchemy and change.
Inspired by the resilience of the natural world, this stylized water garden highlights nature’s survival through harsh and changing conditions of our urban environments.
I created this mural for my Grammie. I wanted to give thanks to her and honour her life and her journey. She was a genocidal camp survivor, (formerly known as residential “school” survivor) and I am here today and have my culture, because she survived.
This mural depicts dark hands digging or separating the earth to create a waterway path that winds like a blue snake.
It takes collective efforts to restore, protect and nurture the changing landscape of The Don. The Cycle illustrates the interconnectedness of water and how it nourishes animals, plants and humans within the ecosystem. The steady stream reminds us of the urgent protection it requires today to thrive in future generations.
In this mural, Haenahhh revisited her experiences and memories of Riverside and the Don River: walking and bicycling along the water and taking a quick break admiring the nature around the neighbourhood, it makes you forget that you’re in the city.
Mural commissioned by the committee “Habiter mon quartier du vieux-Masson”, painted on the St-Jean de Brébeuf primary school, acrylic on bricks, 45′ by 36′, 2019
This mural aims to celebrate the urban biodiversity that natural corridors like the Don River ravine support, as well as calling attention to the threat that invasive species and shrinking habitats have on the healthy biodiversity of our city. Pictured in the design are a few native animal species that rely on these corridors to…
As water is the only common substance that is naturally found as a solid, liquid or gas, our mural personifies water as three women-identifying figures. The first figure is ice who has snowflakes on her robe and a more angular figure. The second figure is steam who is floating, has clouds as hair, and a…
Lake Ontario provides drinking water to 9 million people. In June 2021, a series of regulations that set the limits for direct discharges of toxic pollutants to Ontario’s lakes and rivers were repealed. This leaves Ontario with no sectoral standards for industrial water pollution. This mural depicts a glass of drinking water being filled with…
Our design celebrates the incredible beauty of the Don River and its surrounding waterways. It pays tribute to the traditional keepers of the land, its current residents, and its potential futures. “Tkaronto” is a Mohawk word that translates to “where trees stand in water”. The focal point of our piece is a tree emerging from…
The 2021 Girls Mural Camp Mural focuses on what water means to humans and animals. When creating the design for the mural, we discussed the many ways water benefits our lives, and how we sometimes under-appreciate all that water gives us. The Girls Mural Camp 2021 officially got underway in mid-August 2021 and wrapped up…
This mural is a mix of ideas that have come together from the inspiration of the artists involved. We wanted to create a piece that explores our growth and journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the question, “When everything stops, what keeps going?” The Girls Mural Camp 2020 officially got underway in mid-August 2020…
Social and environmental struggles have been top of mind these recent years. Since 2019, Toronto has seen a 700% rise in anti-Asian violence (based on reported incidents alone), while the Don River is plagued with flooding, erosion risk, pollution and ecological decline. Awareness, and naturalization and protection projects will address some of these issues, but…
This mural art was originally installed on the wall of 742 Queen E in 2013, and moved to 651 Queen E in 2017. It was the Riverside BIA’s first mural as part of its efforts to re-introduce its modern identity and brand; after many years of branding as ‘Queen-Broadview Village’, the BIA re-branded to come…
As our urban environment grows and becomes more and more dense, we are surrounded by fewer wild spaces and it is important to protect and appreciate the ones that remain, as well as the flora and fauna that inhabit them. Continuous tracts of urban woodland such as the Don River valley allow a diverse ecosystem…
‘Strange Connections’ was created as a part of the 2024 KJ BIT Collective Laneway Mural Jam on September 14th, 2024. It was the artist’s (Earth to Elize) first ever Aerosol mural. The theme of the Mural Jam was “connection”. This piece celebrates connection and collaboration through the depiction of a strange, flowing alien machine. It’s…
This was commissioned by the Citadel + Compagnie with a grant from the City of Toronto. “Citadel + Compagnie is a dance organization with its home, The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance, embedded within the Regent Park community of downtown Toronto. Through its creation, curation and cultivation of contemporary dance, Citadel + Compagnie’s mission is…
Commissioned by the City of Wood Buffalo for the Wood Buffalo Mural fest.
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