Downsview Park – Painted Path – Fall 2021
In partnership with id8Downsview Project Just BGRAPHIC Muralist collective contributed a series of painted murals along a winding path from Downsview park Subway Station.
As we walk together through the park we are reminded of the changing landscapes over time. Downsview park is situated on the traditional lands of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River and is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island Downsview Park is now home for a growing population of people from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The park is used to create, escape, exercise, meditate, learn, grow and more much. As the land continues to change, it is important to reflect on the history of the community. As We Walk is a journey of experiences told through 5 creative artistic murals, each telling a story of evolution and growth.
Starting with the land told through the indigenous of the “3 Sisters” painted by Kaya DeCosta. Further along the path Gosia Komorski created a vignette representing the history of the Airbase that once occupied the land. Over the years, the community grew in population and became home to a wealth of diversity, this is reflected in Kareen Odd’s cultural melting pot highlighting the bounty of languages and cultural expression of ‘welcome home’ in a colourful labyrinth of words. As the community grew so did families. Mosies Frank captures this moment from a unique perspective. Public spaces became communal playgrounds sharing moments, memories and sharing dreams. From these public spaces come our cultural icons Curtia Wright tells this story by honouring Michie Mee, an icon and pioneer of what the world has come to love and cherish- Toronto Hip Hop.
5 of our cities brightest artists collaborating with students from local highschools, have added to our communities history, and we welcome you to experience our story “As We Walk”
Kaya Joan
Kaya Joan is a multi-disciplinary Afro-Indigenous artist living in T’karonto (Dish with One Spoon treaty territory). Kaya’s work focuses on placemaking, non-linear temporality and blood memory. Afro and Indigenous futurity and pedagogy are also centred in Kaya’s practice-working through buried truths to explore how creation can heal 7 generations into the past and future.
Kaya has been working in community arts for 6 years as a facilitator and artist. To view more of Kaya’s work:
@kayajoan on instagram
Curtia Wright
Born in Scarborough, Ontario. Curtia Wright is a multi-disciplinary fine artist, mural artist and arts educator based in Toronto, Ontario. She received her BFA at OCAD University in the Drawing and Painting program in 2015. Her artwork re-imagines our reality using elements of fantasy and surrealism. Using bold and vibrant colour she aims to transport audiences to her alternate worlds.
Colour functions as a powerful element to create a sense of bliss within the viewer. Wright’s murals commonly depict abstract figures surrounded by floral patterned elements. Her murals aim is to brighten the environments that they are placed in, providing a vibrant dose of warm energetic colours. Her narratives focus on telling stories of black peoples of the African diaspora, primarily speaking about her own heritage as a Jamaican-Canadian. Wright’s work is often autobiographical and inspired by pop-culture, Caribbean mythology & folklore
Phillip Saunders
Phillip is a multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Ontario. His practice includes oil painting, charcoal and graphite drawings, and street art murals.
Phillip’s work uses the human face as a means to communicate, relate and connect to his audience. He uses colour and abstract patterns to further connect with the viewer’s emotions; the goal of his work is to instill a positive mood, so to remind the viewer of the beauty of their own humanness. Phillip’s larger than life portrait murals seem to take on a life of their own as they are painted intricately using aerosol paint, and possess a mosaic-like aesthetic appeal.
Gosia Komorski
Gosia is a Polish-Canadian artist with a passion for visual storytelling. Whether designing for a big public wall, or working on a small piece in the studio, Gosia is inspired by ornate symbols and patterns of identity. Through mixing patterns and using bold complimentary colours, she builds a visual language that is inclusive and relatable. Since her first public mural in 2015, Gosia has had the opportunity to paint on numerous public and private walls throughout the GTA and Mexico. Currently exploring a new series, Gosia is visually retelling life stories of inspiring women through patterns of their past, present and future identities.
Moises Luvs
Moises also known as Luvs is a Toronto based artist, educator and young creative. As a millennial in hip-hop he finds himself as a bridge between classical graffiti writing and ‘graffuturist’ mural styles. From a young age he has studied graffiti and muralism in back alleys, abandoned buildings, on trains and in books. His discipline in the art has been developing over the past decade professionally and has successfully collaborated, designed and executed murals/artworks at both public and corporate levels. Places such as Union Station, TD Bank, NBA, Facebook Canada, Hudson Bay and is part of CIBC’s private collection. He has also had the privilege of travelling to paint murals and teach art abroad. Places including New York, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Florida, Baltimore, Alberta, Ottawa, Montreal, Windsor and across the GTA and even different cities across Colombia, South America. Luvs aspires to continue growing in community, as an artist and human.
