Emerging & Transitional Artists

Our roster of talented Emerging and Transitional Artists work on developing their craft while gaining experience as Arts Educators
Abby
Sculpture | Installation

About

Abby Kettner (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and aspiring arts-administrator based in Toronto. Abby recently graduated with a BFA in Cross-Disciplinary Art: Life Studies from OCAD University, and her artistic practice continues to evolve as she explores Object-Oriented Ontologies through her unique visual language. Interested in collaboration and community art projects, Abby is currently working with the Carrier Bag Collective to develop accessible workshops for artists.

Alia
Painting | Ceramics | Collage | Mural Art
About

Alia is a Bahamian-Colombian artist currently based in Toronto. Her work is translated through her use of reminiscent color schemes and patterns from her two cultures. Bringing to life scenes of melancholy surrounding the female figure, while examining topics of mental health, the female gaze and personal experience. Alia explores what it is to be her and takes you along, through her works of art. Her most recent bodies of work include ceramics, while experimenting with the many techniques within the craft such as firing and glazing. Creating pieces that are interactive in a living space.

Andrea
Poetry | Spoken Word | Photography

About

Andrea Josic is a queer, Mad, Bosnian-Canadian poet, performer, journalist, and arts educator based in the GTA. She has been competing in international poetry slams for 6 years and is a national award-winning poet and journalist with work published with This Magazine, Xtra, Indie88, pulpMAG, and more. They were the champion of the 2020 Toronto Poetry Slam, the co-champion in the 2019 Feminine Empowerment Movement Slam, and a runner-up in the 2021 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. As an Emerging Artist with VIBE Arts, a Public Art Assistant with STEPS Public Art, and an Arts Instructor in schools and communities across Ontario, Andrea hopes to cultivate joy and healing in their work.

Ariel
Painting | Sculpture | Digital Art | Mixed Media

About

Ariel is a multi-disciplinary, self taught artist who paints her dreams and visions - transporting viewers into surreal worlds. Drawing and painting her whole life, her natural ability to create using the mind’s eye has flourished into full-time work. Located in Toronto Ontario, Ariel has done work for Dior, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Zoo and many more. She is the winner of Toronto Art Battle in February and July of 2023. Ariel’s work is diverse; from creating one of a kind pieces to working commercially, she captures her style in her work.

Betiel
Drawing | Painting | Pottery | Digital Media

About

I'm Betiel Ghirmay, a visual artist currently pursuing a degree in Drawing and Painting at OCADU. My artistic journey is marked by versatility, exploring diverse mediums, including pottery/ceramics, woodworking, crochet, and digital art. Beyond the classroom, I dedicate significant time to honing my skills at Inspiration Studio, where I spend two days each week crafting pottery for sale. My art thrives on the connection between my hands and the chosen medium, transforming them into expressions of my inner creativity. As I continue my studies at OCADU, my commitment to pushing artistic boundaries and expanding my skill set remains unwavering.

Cassandra
Spoken Word | Poetry | Disability Art

About

Cassandra Myers (My’z) (they/she/he) is an award winning poet, performer, dancer, illustrator, and counsellor from Tkaronto, Ontario. As a queer, non-binary, South-Asian-Italian, crip, mad, survivor of sexual violence, Cassandra's work is cinematic and juicy with it's critical anti-oppressive eye. Cassandra’s work has won national literary and spoken word titles including the National Magazine GOLD Award in Poetry and Champion of the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. Their work is the kind that tugs concepts into frays, tying new solar systems in their wake. Find their poetry in ARC Poetry Magazine, Canthius, the Tahoma Literary Review, and elsewhere.

Caylen
Visual Arts

About

Caylen Monroe is a multidisciplinary artist. As a figurative painter, muralist, and emerging installation artist- they’re interested in art-making as a form of storytelling and an act of community care. Through a maximalist approach to colour, their practice aims to facilitate spaces of rest, playfulness, and queer joy.

Conceptually they are interested in exploring placemaking and specifically the importance of the feeling of “home”. Their expansion into installation art is rooted in the desire to create centralized spaces of belonging for the queer community.

In both their abstract imagery, and figurative painting, there is an underlying interest in organic forms and colourful compositions. Moving forwards in their practice, they're looking to engage in larger scale, immersive projects that allow them to create whimsical spaces that offer solace for the queer and trans community.

Cheyenne
Dance | Speaking | Spoken Word

About

Born in the Caribbean island of Trinidad, Cheyenne Gold is a racialized settler Canadian Artist, Speaker, and Educator. She is no stranger to the stage, as a dance artist with over 15 years of experience. Known for her career as an independent dance teacher/choreographer in the Greater Toronto Area, some also know Cheyenne through the world of public speaking and spoken word where she has presented to audiences of all ages in Canada and the Caribbean and was featured on CBC Radio in 2022. Cheyenne is a proud multi-hyphenate who often draws on her heritage’s rich storytelling traditions in her work and believes in the power of mindful artist/human-centered learning experiences.

Crystal
Illustration | Graphic Design

About

Crystal is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Toronto. She loves to create work with bold and fun colour targeted towards the young at heart. When she's not illustrating & designing, she loves to strength train at the gym and relax with a sheet mask on. She holds a Bachelors of Design (graphic design) from OCAD University and specializes in designing brand & digital illustration work. Previously, she has worked as a freelance graphic designer, and done illustration commissions. As a passionate creative, Crystal's life mission is to inspire others to be creative and make a difference in their community. You can find some of her work at crystalwong.format.com and @scribblebycrystal on Instagram.

Desiree
About

Desiree is an award-winning poet who has touched many stages sharing her truth. As a director of the Toronto BAM! Youth Slam and the 2019 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word National Champion with Up from the Roots, she’s looking for growth by way of the stage. She has represented Toronto Poetry Slam at the 2020 Women of the World Poetry Slam in Dallas, Texas placing in the top 40 of 100 poets and was ranked among the top three poets in Canada at the 2020 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. Her poetry has also been featured as part of CBC’s Poetic License series and The Bentway’s ‘Safe in Public Spaces’ campaign. In addition to her performance experience, she helps facilitate a range of community programming for organizations like Unity Charity, JAYU, Poetry in Voice and is currently part of VIBE Arts NExT mentorship cohort. She is the recipient of the JAYU’s iAM Arts for Human Rights Award, and the RBC Future Launch Scholarship.

Dominic​
Visual Arts | Acrylic Painting | Poetry | Podcast Production

About

Dominic Justina is a multi-faceted creative from Kingston, Jamaica currently living in Toronto. She is passionate about guiding people towards their divine creative power and away from limiting beliefs. She was born into a very musical family starting with her great great grandmother. Her introduction to art through music and sound has been a gateway into appreciating other forms of creation including visuals arts, poetry and podcast production. Her art has been featured in the Pearson International Airport, Castle Frank Subway Station and Fort York Historic Site in Toronto. Her journey has taken her to New York where she joined a dance company as a teenager, then to Toronto where she's now recognized as an emerging artist that also works in Tech. Dominic currently produces and hosts the Life on Hifi podcast with conversations for the soul ft creatives!

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Ehiko
Painting | Murals | Graphic Design | Website Design | Collage

About

Ehiko Odeh is a multidisciplinary artist from Lagos, Nigeria and currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. With a rich artistic background spanning 7 years, Ehiko's creative journey is deeply rooted in her spiritual practice and fuelled by the essence of play. This exploration has led her to engage in various forms of material experimentation.

Ehiko's artistic pursuits encompass a diverse range of themes, including decolonization, coiffure, ethnobotany, memory, and play. Her distinctive style is characterized by an expressive palette and the utilization of a wide array of found or up-cycled textiles. In her artistic endeavours, Ehiko pays homage to the traditional Nigerian craftsmanship, particularly through her large-scale multimedia paintings, textiles, performances, drawings, and installations.

Having graduated from OCAD University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a minor in Creative Writing, Ehiko has showcased her works in prominent art scenes across Lagos, Nigeria, Kolkata, India, and Toronto. Notably, her first solo exhibition in Canada was presented by BAND (Black Artist Network In Dialogue) in 2019, marking a significant milestone in her artistic career.

Ehiko's talent and dedication have earned her prestigious commissions, including notable projects such as the Gladstone Hotel House Art Program, an exhibition titled "Between Star Shine and Clay" in collaboration with Career Launchers at Yonge-Dundas Square, the "Realised-Reimagined Food Justice" exhibition with Foodshare Toronto, and the honour of creating the cover art for Lillian Allen's latest book, "Make The World New."

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Emily
Visual Arts | Graphic Design | Illustration | Writing

About

Emily Condie is an Artist, Writer, Curator, and Multidisciplinary Creative from Toronto, Ontario, who holds a BFA from OCAD University, with a specialization in Drawing and Painting. Through a combination of research, material exploration and creative writing in her studio practice; Emily explores theoretical frameworks and themes of affect theory, non objective painting, memorial, loss, intuition, and sensory experiences related to memory to create physical and digital paintings. Emily is a Marketing and Communications Professional and Emerging Arts Administrator, who is passionate about creating paid professional opportunities for emerging artists and designers, cultivating community art spaces, and facilitating unspoken connections between artist and audience. Emily currently has work in private and corporate collections across Ontario, and is continuing to define a role for herself within the creative landscape of Toronto.

Gloria (Glowz)
Writing

About

Spoken word artist from Toronto, Ontario. A talented songwriter for the past 20 years, and dedicated short story writer for 18 years. Her involvement in the poetry scene started with the performance of her most popular poem ‘Letter to My Angel’, at Fallen Soldiers in 2013. Incorporates choruses and hooks as techniques in her poetry. Genre: cultural reggae and 90’s rap. Biggest influences from artists for her writing: Morgan Heritage, Tupac, Mary J Blige, Nas, Renee Henry, Whitney French & Mally Bless. Moving around the city frequently and getting exposed to various lifestyles, her writing reflects on her personal experience and the lives of people surrounding her. Also passionate about building relationships with different communities, she has been an active member in community engagements across the GTA since 2010. And a reporter for the Toronto Caribbean newspaper in 2020. Gloria was a Creative Writing Teacher in Nemaska through the Cree School Board in 2023.

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Jasmine
Multi-disciplinary Visual Arts | Therapeutic Arts | Eco-Art | Poetry | Murals

About

Jasmine Vanstone (she/her) is a Jamaican-Canadian multidisciplinary artist, community arts facilitator, and arts administrator based in North York. She experiments in digital collage, digital photography, drawing, painting, poetry, murals, and paper crafts to share visual reflections of anti-Black racism, mixed race identity, mental health and wellness, and environmental justice. A graduate of York University, Jasmine earned a BFA with Honours in Visual Art and a Certificate in Cultural and Artistic Practice for Environmental and Social Justice. She then earned a Postgraduate Arts Management Diploma from Centennial College and began to flourish and support outreach and community-centered programming at Art Starts and TO Live. With the support of mentorship, Jasmine’s work has been featured at Nuit Blanche, Gallery 44, Meridian Arts Centre, Pearson Airport, id8 Downsview The Perimeter Project, Workman Arts’ Rendezvous with Madness Festival, Harbourfront Centre’s KUUMBA Festival, Friends of Kensington Market: A Future without Oppression, JAYU, and VIBE Arts.

Joaquín
Illustration | Visual Arts
About

Joaquín, is a Colombian born visual artist who has always allowed his creativity to take him to different mediums, scales and explorations but has always been drawn to a more graphic and illustrative language to communicate this expression. Alongside practicing his illustration and art, Joaquín knows firsthand the positive and powerful impacts that come with access to expression, resources and good mentors. He strives to provide accessibility to others who are in need of that same nourishment.

Karyin
Dance (Breaking) | Choreography & Improvisation | Film Photography

About

Karyin Qiu is a second-generation Chinese Canadian Hakka artist born in the northern city of Whitehorse, Yukon. In 2012, she discovered Hip Hop culture through the art form of breaking (B-girling). Through this passion, she was able to find a welcoming community that served as an anchor for her personal growth, healing, sense of belonging, and self-realization. She later studied various styles of street dance and classical forms in order to expand her skills and versatility as a professional dancer, and also began facilitating dance development workshops and programs for youth. For over 10 years, she has performed, collaborated, and competed in battles across Canada, USA, Greenland, Chile, and most recently France. In 2023, she won the Red Bull BC One Cypher in Vancouver, and continues to evolve and take the stage worldwide. Her mission as an artist is to embody authenticity in all forms of expression, hoping to share her experiences and facilitate empowering environments for people to grow towards their potential.

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Martin
Beatboxing | Spoken Word

About

Martin Gomes (He/They) is an Afro-Latino, queer artist born & based in downtown Toronto. He currently works as a freelance artist with a myriad of different non-profit arts organizations as an artist facilitator giving youth a platform to speak for and express themselves through poetry, beatboxing, and storytelling. As a performer, he's had the privilege of performing at TIFF, Scotiabank Arena, Wrigley Field, Nuit Blanche, and Dundas Square. His hope as an artist is to advocate for authenticity, empathy, and intention by example; to inspire people to be more intentional with themselves & the world around them.

Maneesa
Environmental Arts | Visual Arts | Creative Writing | Mixed Media Installation | Audioscapes | Arts for Social Justice | Upcycling

About

Maneesa Veeravel is a creative storyteller with over a decade of experience in community-based arts creation, facilitation and space-making. Maneesa is a mad, queer, Tamil, gender fluid, chronically ill survivor, born and settled on the stolen lands of the Wendat, Anishinaabe, Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Haudenosaunee peoples. Maneesa’s work reflects intergenerational wits, wounds and wisdoms as it pertains to land, body and the notion of survival.

Mike
Video | Drawing | Writing

About

Mike Regis is an extremely passionate young black filmmaker from Toronto, Ontario. Mike seeks to find the truth in human relationships in every narrative he creates through his work as a Film Director. With a focus on the Black experience. Mike aims to portray the cultural and societal nuances authentically. Mike’s style is centered around portraying humanity through visual techniques such as production design, lighting, and camera to further provide realism to his characters and story. Mike is an ArtWorksTO and POV 3rd Street Alumni. I’ve even had the pleasure of having my short film “Promotion” featured and produced by CBC.

Micah
Collage | Painting | Film

About

Micah Chu (any pronouns) is a hopeless romantic and artist of many disciplines, with a recent interest in collage. At its core, their work centers around storytelling and exploration. Often, this takes shape as film, collage, or multimedia art. Artistically, Micah has worked with TIFF, JAYU, Story Planet, and TCAF. Through and beyond the arts, they put their focus on uplifting and advocating for queer youth, after spending much of their professional life within youth-focused non-profit organizations.

Nailah
Dance | Aerial Hoop | Acrobatics

About

Nailah began artistic gymnastics as a young child and remained dedicated to it until her medical retirement from the sport at age 14, following 5+ years of national-level competitions and countless medals. Despite the demands of her sport, Nailah also found the time to train as a classical singer and actor with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, appearing as a featured performer in albums and shows across the country, including The Four Tenors, Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Christmas Pops; Back in the Day; Canadian Specials), and Canadian Opera Company (Carmen; Madame Butterfly; La Bohème), as well as touring with the company across North America and to Europe. Since beginning her formal dance training while attending Etobicoke School for the Arts, Nailah has honed her skills internationally. Between summers at The Ailey School and the completion of her Honours BFA in Dance from York University, Nailah’s formal movement vocabulary has been highly influenced by Theatre Jazz, contemporary floor and partner work, Graham Technique, Precision Jazz, Dunham Technique, contemporary ballet, Limón Technique, and Horton Technique. Immediately following her graduation from YorkU, Nailah moved to New York City to pursue a performance career where she had the honour of training and performing with companies and choreographers including VIM VIGOR, Ailey II, Helen Simoneau, Ronald K Brown/EVIDENCE, Ross Daniels, Jennifer Muller, and Buglisi Dance Theater while studying as an Ailey School Scholarship Student. Since returning to Toronto, she has been entranced by the circus world, transitioning into a full-time circus artist, specializing in contortion, handbalancing, and acrobatics with Alixa Slobodyan (Alixa Flexibility), Serchmaa Byamba (Circus Center), and Maleke Duncan-Reid (Cirque-ability), before adding Lyra (Keely Whitelaw and Leeann Ball), pole (Elspeth Cudmore), and now Cyr Wheel (Christa Wilson and Francis Caron) to her ever-growing repertoire.

Natalie
Visual Art | Murals | Scenic Art | Dance

About

Natalie Ho, also known as Natalie Sze Wai, is a Toronto-based visual artist originally from Hong Kong. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) degree in Theatre and Entertainment Arts with First Class Honours from HKAPA in 2020.

With a diverse arts background encompassing scenic art, dance, and visual art, Natalie has gained valuable experience as an intern scenic artist at esteemed institutions like the Royal Opera House and National Theatre in the UK. She has also showcased her talent as a dancer with the renowned "Dance Beyond Dance" ballet group in Hong Kong. Natalie's artistic focus lies primarily in realism and portraiture, particularly highlighting women who challenge traditional societal norms. Her vibrant and intricate pieces draw inspiration from the beauty found in everyday life. As an Asian female artist, Natalie utilizes her artwork as a platform to defy societal expectations and promote self-expression. In addition to her individual art practice, Natalie actively engages in public art projects. Notably, she contributed to the success of the Golden Girls mural as part of the Cultural Hotspot Signature Project in Scarborough during the summer and fall of 2022. Furthermore, she participated in the StreetARToronto Outside the Box program in 2023, demonstrating her commitment to public art initiatives. Her latest painting, titled "Fearless," was selected and exhibited in the prestigious "IMPACT 2023 Exhibition" at the NPCC galleries and "we are resilient Juried Art Show 2023" at Arts Etobicoke. Beyond her artistic pursuits, Natalie takes pleasure in immersing herself in Toronto's vibrant multicultural scene, constantly seeking inspiration from the city's diverse cultures.

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Natalie (Rare)
Poetry | Photography | Film | Creative Writing | Crafts | Fashion
About

Natalie “Rare” Chattargoon better known as Rare, is a multifaceted Toronto born & raised creative. Her craft involves spoken word poetry, photography, film and an educational background in Social Service Worker. She grew up facing many barriers and challenges throughout her journey that motivated her to strive for a better life. Her work explores social issues through her art forms. Educating others on social issues, spreading love through art and helping others grow. She hopes to engage people through the mind, body and soul. Rare takes pride in her community development work and empowers young leaders to go for their dreams. She has worked in many marginalized communities to try to break the stigmas surrounding social issues. She loves what she does and is very passionate. Rare is truly one of a kind, so divine and hard to find.

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Nicholas
Visual Arts | Creative Writing | Fashion | Music | Story-telling
About

Nicholas Ridiculous is a multidisciplinary artist who loves organic creation; raw, flawed, and original. After a lot of his own life experiences with things like the child welfare system, he wants to use his passions to express those experiences and to help others who may have similar ones. With a foundation of creative writing, visual arts, and fresh off a four-year college stint for fashion arts and design, Nicholas hopes to keep building his skills to tell many stories across all mediums of art. He is a nostalgia junky drawing inspiration from his life and the things he loves, in hopes to process and better understand this ridiculous world.

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Ovasé
Painting | Drawing | Illustration | Digital art | Mixed Media | Photography | Sculpture | Poetry

About

I am an emerging multidisciplinary artist that often conceptualizes work around the human figure or condition, driven by personal experience and the desire to make social commentary. By cognitively filtering customs or ideologies, I can communicate my stance. My work is often explorative, subjective and thought-provocative, revealing playful intent that will combine opposite art styles like realism and abstraction. The colour palette and elements are often restrictive with distinctive features. I constantly look for ways to experiment with how viewers engage with art through sensory work or relatability. After privately practicing, I have exhibited and connected more with those in the field, most recently having my first solo show at The Drake Hotel.

Paula
Film | Photography | Visual Arts

About

Paula Ner Dormiendo is a Filipino Canadian director/editor/producer in the GTA. She has been featured on, led, and worked with nationally-leading organizations in Canada from non-profit collectives to renowned companies that champion her strong passion for meaningful, inclusive, and community-oriented storytelling.

Her first film on immigrant experiences and cultural disconnect, On The Fence, has been selected by more than 24 academy and screen award-qualifying showcases around the world, with a total of 13 awards and nominations including, Yellowknife Festival, Reelworld, NFFTY, and a national broadcast on CBC Gem. Following her debut film, she directed and edited the 2022 & 2023 campaigns for the fastest-growing festival for emerging filmmakers in Canada, The Future of Film Showcase, which premiered at Scotiabank Theatre and was featured on Global News. In 2022, she collaborated with Queer Filipino artist, Kelso Jeans, for her first music video, Siren Song, a recipient of the Brampton City Grant with 5 selected screenings and publications. She is an alumna of the Canon FUTURES Program run by industry-leading experts like Kim’s Convenience director, Justin Wu, and the WIFT Connect Mentorship under Peabody Award Winning Director, Karen Shopsowitz. Currently, she is in the distribution phase as director and producer for the music video, Floored, in partnership with RBCxMusic emerging Filipino artist, Eric Ryan, a production sponsored by William F. White, Alter Ego, and Grande Camera.

As an editor, she has worked on APTN’s docuseries, Friday Night Thunder, and PRIDE Toronto for their 40th Anniversary Parade Commercial featured on CP24. At Bell Media (for MuchMusic, CTV, and Discovery) and Canon Canada, she pitched strategies, edited and produced promotional campaigns to bring social influence and brand awareness to their digital platforms.

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Pixel
Visual Arts | Murals | Performance

About

Pixel Heller is a multi-media Black visual artist in Toronto, ON. As a descendant from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the exploration of identity plays a significant role for Pixel as an artist. She employs art as a means to delve into the complexities of multicultural backgrounds. Her creative curiosity has led her to explore these themes resulting in a body of work that resonates with vibrancy and empowerment. Pixel's work is a celebration of Black identity and cultural heritage.

With an artistic journey deeply intertwined with themes of Black identity, carnival masquerade, cultural fluidity and the preservation of memories. Pixel has chosen to depict her work in a wide range of mediums that include paintings, drawings, performances and textiles. Through her work, she encourages us to embrace and celebrate the rich complexities of our own identities and heritage.

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Prince
About

Prince Amoako is a spoken word artist from Toronto. He uses his art form as a way of therapy through creative expression. This platform has become a way for Prince to shed light on current social justice issues around the world and his own community. His work has been featured on platforms such as CBC Arts: Poetic License Series III, Toronto Black Film Festival, and 416RISE. He has also represented Toronto on the Toronto Poetry Slam team and has won many competitions. Prince has also been a part of a program called Speakers University which focused on developing public speaking techniques which was featured on CBC. Prince has gone on to curate poetry workshops for Humber College students as a way to help them destress and share their experiences as post-secondary students. As an artist Prince pushes himself to be uncomfortable by sharing the most vulnerable pieces of his life and making himself uncomfortable on stage to show the audience they are not alone in their experiences. He is determined to give back to his community through creative expression.

Rabiyah
Visual Arts | Textiles | Design

About

Rabiyah Sagheer is a Canadian-Pakistani interdisciplinary artist working in traditional media along with textiles and design-based work. Based in Toronto, in her work, the artist explores themes that surround her, whether personal, social, or politically charged. Drawing from culture, memory, tradition, and dreamscape, her work bridges a gap between her cultural heritage and current lived experiences. She is an emerging artist acquiring a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting and a Minor in Material Arts and Design-Textiles from OCAD University.

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River

About

River is a multi-disciplinary sound artist, musician, and performer working in Toronto, Ontario. He got his start as a self-taught guitarist writing music and performing on small stages across the GTA. Since expanding his practice to include sound designing and composing for film and theatre, he has worked with companies such as Buddies in Bad Times, Theatre Passe Muraille, Tarragon Theatre, and Young People's Theatre, to name a few.

His work plays with magic realism and celebrates themes of queerness, joy, and survival.

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Saskia
Theatre Creation | Acting/Performance

About

Saskia Muller is an actor and creator born and based in Toronto.

An alumna from the Theatre and Drama Studies joint program between the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, she holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and an Advanced Diploma in Acting. Since graduating, as she practices leaving her house again: she’s appeared both on stage and screen in a variety indie films, and commercial and radio projects. Theatrically of late, Saskia has performed in NIF at Alumnae Theatre in Spell and puppeteered with Clay and Paper Theatre’s Summer Company. In the education world: her formative work as a ROMkids assistant is where she forayed into the realm of collaborative storytelling; using her storytelling skills to help others tell their own stories using imaginative play that is authentic to each individual.

Art -- no matter the form is incredibly malleable. So why not shape it into something YOU actually enjoy?

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Serene
Visual Arts

About

I am a Chinese-Canadian creative and an expert daydreamer, who utilizes my passion in storytelling to produce digital and traditional imagery that provokes child-like wonder and captures nostalgia. My work draws on my interest in mental health, East Asian history and mythology, and all things fantasy. I have worked as a freelance traditional painter and digital illustrator for 8 years, supporting other independent musicians, writers, and artists. I strive to create awareness in the beauty of Asian cultures and otherwise marginalized communities. Alongside my art, my versatile background includes my academic education in business and years of entrepreneurial experience exemplified in three of my start-up businesses. When I’m not painting, you can find me working with my hands- sewing, making resin crafts, and thrift flipping.

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Shaniece​
About

Shaniece Phillips is a dancer, choreographer and creator from Rexdale.  Her dance dreams began watching her older sister teach hip hop classes, studying music videos on 106 & Park and watching You Got Served 10,000 times.  Hip hop and dancehall are her two loves. She is inspired by the Jamaican culture she was brought up in. As she teaches, she hopes to instill the fact that dance is a full comprehensive culture of people, places, and history. She wants to instill that dance is a living and breathing thing that exists outside of the studio. It was not born in pristine studios with glass mirrors. The pioneers of these dances often didn’t have access to these spaces. They were often born out of struggle, rebellion, celebration and the fight to be seen and take up space. She has experience working within her own community in camps and afterschool programming. She is currently on faculty of the Youth program at City Dance Corps Studio in Toronto.  Shaniece graduated from the University of Guelph-Humber in 2016 with a Bachelors’ degree in Psychology. She now studies at the Create Institute in Toronto, training to become an Expressive Arts Therapist, where she learns to use not just dance, but all modalities of art to access healing. While still pursuing her dance dreams hopes to inspire those from her community to find the power of dance.

Siddharth
Graffiti | Murals | Drawing | Dance
About

Siddharth Khaire also known as Graffi sid, was born in Baroda, India in 1992 and now resides in Toronto, Canada. Sid came to Canada in 2016 as an International student to learn Project Management. As it was one of the key course to learn for a Mural artist and a Street artist. Sid is a self-educated visual artist who stimulates his creativity based on the day-to-day activity. As a child he was always to be found with a sketchbook and pencil in hand, so the choice of cartoon creators and funky design always been seen in his artwork, as he grew up as a teenager, he was exposed to Hip-hop Culture, though it was just arrived in India. He was fascinated by graffiti and street art. Sid was once a fan of only black and white, he now paints with explosions of colors. He predominantly approaches his artwork utilizing a street art perspective with an underpinning of re-contextualization through mixed media materials and his creativity, Freehand aerosol and traditional brush techniques are evident with Sid’s works, primarily incorporating mixed media such as acrylics, aerosol, inks, markers and stencils, among other things. He is always known for his detail work and creative concepts. He is an artist who always believe in learning and does not believe that he has finished becoming a “grown up”.

Soka
Photography | Sculpture | Mixed-Media

About

Soka Lazara is a mixed Costa Rican, Nicaraguan, French-Canadian, and German lens-based artist and community arts facilitator based in Mississauga. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University and completed a Graduate Certification in Arts Education and Community Engagement from Centennial College. In her artistic practice her work revolves around self-portraiture, editorials, and documentaries. Soka explores themes of storytelling, identity, family lineages, and her own personal experiences in her artwork. In her practice she incorporates 3D printing, and sculptures to accompany her photographs. Soka has been facilitating community arts programs since 2019. She is interested in creating engaging arts programs that provide participants with the tools for self-expression, self-sufficiency, and community advocacy. Soka has worked with various arts organizations within the GTA as a facilitator and arts administrator. She has worked with the City of Mississauga, Clay and Paper Theatre, the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, and VIBE Arts.

SRE
Producer | Beatmaker | Rapper/MC | Songwriter | Dancer
About

SRE is multidisciplinary artist who is passionate to create things from scratch. He believes that having a blank canvas in any artistic direction can bring out the best in any person. Due to the environment that SRE has been around, he believes that everyone has a voice/skill that has not been tapped into to the fullest and strives to be the push that an artist would need to push boundaries.

Sydanie
Writing | Rap | Theatre | Media Production
Tristan
New Media Arts | Sculpture | Curation

About

Tristan Sauer is a New Media Artist and Curator interested in physical computing, wearable technology, and Sculpture. Sauer's practice is critically focused on technology and capitalism, viewing their relationship as a potential modern-day Pandora's box. He is interested in the intersections between our digital and physical worlds, and how technology affects the various facets of human existence. Often expressed through his own identity as an Afro-Canadian, Sauer explores these topics through both an Afro-futuristic and Afro-Pessimistic lens. A graduate of the New Media program at Toronto Metropolitan University, Sauer has presented locally at the Plumb, Meridian Art Centre, Gallery 1313, and Whippersnapper Gallery. He has curated as a member of Long Winter, online through Symbicocene Gallery, and REEL Asian Film Festival, and most recently in-person at Xpace Cultural Centre.

Please note: external links to artist portfolios or social media platforms are not affiliated with VIBE.