Realism, sometimes called naturalism, is generally the attempt to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality and avoiding speculative fiction and supernatural elements.
This series of murals along Dundas Street West created as part of a cultural exchange celebrates the relationship between Canada and Chile and, in particular the cities of Toronto and Valparaiso.
The artists’ aim was to create an image representative of the diverse community in Toronto.
Ce circuit culturel vous fera découvrir, à la croisée des rues des harmonies de couleurs, des projets artistiques complexes et originaux, ainsi que des facettes importantes de notre histoire. Le circuit est composé de 35 stations sur une distance d’un kilomètre.
This cultural circuit will make you discover, at the crossroads of the streets, harmonies of colors, complex and original artistic projects, as well as important facets of our history. The circuit is made up of 35 stations over a distance of one kilometer.
Here the artist is representing youth in the community and the dandelions represent wishes for the future. A field of dreams. The ice cream, while tieing into the Ice Box ice cream shop also stands in for the fun, vibrancy, and diversity our youth represents taking us into that future they set out through their dreams and imaginings.
Narrative mural acknowledging the significance of the First nations creation story of the Skywoman and the significant contributions of women in their communities while settling in the Bowmanville and Clarington areas.
First Nations creation stories tell of how the earth began as a great island floating in space and was a place of eternal peace. From a hole in the sky in the land of the Great Spirit the Sky Woman fell down to the water below. With the help of animals and birds she landed safely on to the back of the turtle. Sky Woman then guided and counselled the various animals to swim to the bottom of the ocean to bring back dirt to create land. Muskrats succeeded in gathering dirt which was placed on the back of a turtle. This dirt began to multiply and also caused the turtle to grow bigger. The turtle continued to grow bigger and bigger and the dirt continued to multiply until it became a huge expanse of land. The land was called Turtle Island and the beginning of creation on the earth.
Designed and painted by Allan Bender, John Nobrega, Stacey Kinder
The Journey to the West tells stories of the exploits of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King born from a stone nourished by the Five Elements, who learns the art of the Tao, 72 polymorphic transformations, combat, and secrets of immortality, and through guile and force makes a name for himself, Qitian Dasheng (simplified Chinese: 齐天大圣; traditional Chinese: 齊天大聖).
Commissioned by Toronto Chinatown B.I.A. Completed Aug 2014
A landscape mural in the Toronto alleyway of Bejing’s Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the political and ritual center of China for over 500 years. After its completion in 1420, the Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors, their families and servants during the Ming (1368–1644) and the Qing (1644–1911) dynasties.
Designed and painted by Allan Bender John Nobrega Jesse McQuaig Jien June Kim
Commissioned by Toronto Chinatown B.I.A. Completed July 2016
A very long time ago, when the King of the Sky created the heavens, he decorated it with stars and asked his beautiful daughter to help him by weaving the clouds and mists. It was a long task and when the king noticed his daughter looking tired and drawn, he ordered her to take a break and go out to play among the stars. The princess headed down towards the Milky Way to bathe, whereupon she came across a handsome herd-boy grazing his water buffalo by the banks of the stream. To this day, on the seventh day of the seventh month of every year a great King sends a flock of magpies over the Milky Way to form a bridge to ensure the return of his daughter. The weather must be clear on this evening or the lovers cannot cross the celestial river to meet each other. If it rains the pair must wait another year. On a clear night you can see their two bright stars together in the sky. If it rains it is said that the drops falling to earth are the tears of the Weaver-Girl Princess.
Designed and painted by Allan Bender John Nobrega Stacey Kinder
Commissioned by The Department of Canadian Heritage’s World War Commemorations Community Fund. Completed 2016
Boys & Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes engaged Allan Bender for the community-based commemorative and educational murals project entitled “The Home Front”. A series of five murals conceived and designed narrating stories and lives of the Kawartha Lakes community during the years of the 1st and Second world wars. Located include the outside east facing wall of Lindsay’s Boys and Girls club onn their interior gymnasium walls.
Mythological Mural narrative is that in 1919 Bathurst and Bloor was visited by the great Korean Imoogi.
The Imoogi is a hornless ocean dragon, sometimes equated with a sea serpent. Literally means, “Great Lizard”. The legend of the Imoogi says that the sun god gave the Imoogi their power through a human girl, which would be transformed into the Imoogi on her 17th birthday.
Designed and painted by: Allan Bender John Nobrega Stacey Kinder
According to Chinese mythology, the Dragon’s Gate is located at the top of a waterfall cascading from a legendary mountain. Many carp swim upstream against the river’s strong current, but few are capable or brave enough for the final leap over the waterfall. If a carp successfully makes the jump, it is transformed into a powerful dragon.
Designed and painted by Blinc Studios
Artists: Allan Bender John Nobrega Stacey Kinder
The Iron Workers Tribute Mural was created to commemorate and showcase the Local 721 Iron Workers Union. Paying tribute to all the Ironworkers, Apprentices, their trades and their contributions and sacrifices in building Toronto, the GTA and cities across the province.
To also celebrate I.W.721’s dedication to recruitment and educating future Iron Workers in their largest Canadian accredited training centre.
Designed and Painted by Blinc Studios
Artists: Allan Bender, John Nobrega, Sonny Bascalo.
Native flowers provide much needed food for Toronto’s pollinators, like these different species of native bees and butterflies.
Painted in 2019 by: Nick Sweetman, and funded by Street Art Toronto’s Partnership Program, with support from David Suzuki Foundation and Dallington Public School.
Assisted by: Menelik Powell, Meg Oldhues, Omen, Christina Mazzulla and Phil Saunders. Special thanks to Dulux Paint.
The mural depicts two scenes: On the right is a scene from 1955 in Mississippi where Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till, is burying her murdered son. His killers were found not guilty after tampering by local law enforcement. On the left is Breonna Taylor’s apartment, where she was killed while sleeping by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky in 2020 – officers who faced no prosecution for her senseless death. However, thanks to the words and actions of Mamie Till, her son’s death led to public outcry and significant change. Breonna’s mother Tamika Palmer has been on the frontlines of the Black Lives Matter protests that exploded all over the US and the world in 2020. Both of these events highlight what James Baldwin meant when he said “Ignorance allied with power is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”
Painted in 2020 by Elicser, Nick Sweetman, Sight and Spy1
Funded in part by Street Art Toronto.
The figure in a business suit is now dealing with a hangover from a capitalist/consumer bender. The “Capitalist Daydreams” is one of seven paintings in a series titled “Waste Wear.” The series addresses issues surrounding pollution and climate change. Presented by the Vancouver Mural Festival and the Gastown BIA.
The Amplify Mural was set to mobilize young artists from Bob Rumball’s Digital Camp for the Deaf and the CNIB to create a mural at the Antibes Community Centre. However, due to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, VIBE Arts reimagined this project in a groundbreaking style taking place over the course of several months through a series of virtual programs led by artist Rob Matejka and culminated in a mural comprised of 75+ pieces created by youth across the GTA.
The mural is painted on 3 support pillars at the front entrance to the building. It features front line heroes – a doctor, a nurse, a personal support worker (PSW) and several residents, young and old. The uniformed heroes have their hands raised, working with the community, supporting the building, and protecting the residents. In medical uniforms, but they have superhero crests and the doctors lab coat flies like a cape, offering safety from harm to a senior.
Artist: Karen Roberts
Created by GTA artist, Khaula Mazhar, with the support of the Parks, Forestry and Environment Division in September 2020. Painted for the local community who uses the trail as a reminder of the beauty of nature and to stop and appreciate the simple things especially at this difficult time during COVID lockdowns.
Mediums: Amsterdam acrylic paint, Benjamin Moore exterior acrylic, Montana Gold Spray cans.
Commissioned by Thomas Street Middle School.
The list of figures was curated by the Staff and Students.
July 28th 2020
Artist: Komi Olaf
The Kincardine, Ontario, Station Beach was a busy location with many lakeside industries in the turn of the century, including salt mining, lumber yards, great lake shipping and the CNR railway connections to southern towns and cities. This mural was composed by the use of two archival photos from the Archives in Bruce County Museum and local sources.
Artist: Lambertus De Graaf
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)
Grow old with me, the best is yet to be, Underpass Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The “Mural Routes, Multipli’city Project” is a project to revitalize and brighten up urban underpasses to encourage public community engagement and make areas safer for the Toronto community. For this project the artists elected to represent age diversity in urban environments, celebrating the elderly who help shape communities and lives as the wise story-tellers and most experienced members of society. Lacey and Layla’s mural is a celebration of ageing, and a reminder that with age and experience comes to a new joy and sense of humour the redefines the expression young at heart. Lacey and Layla Art (LALA)
Joeys Restaurant Bell Tower, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 90 x 9 ft.
Northern Crossing is an exterior mural commissioned by the Joey’s Restaurant Group for their location in Edmonton at Bell Tower. This mural is a celebration of the beauty and wonder of northern Alberta’s wilderness.
Artists: Lacey and Layla Art (LALA)
“Quoth the Raven, Nevermore” 900 ft2, acrylic paint, Nelson, British Columbia, 2020. Funding Body: Nelson International Mural Festival.
This annual mural festival is held in the charming mountain town of Nelson in British Columbia. The mural was inspired by the surrounding natural splendour and allure of the rich forest and wildlife. This colourful depiction of the raven will be the personification of the winged mystery that has captured the imaginations of cultures globally and for centuries. This adaptable and highly intelligent bird has appeared in myths and stories as the wise teacher, the trickster, the creator and the companion.
Artists: Lacey and Layla Art (LALA)
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