STORIES
Explore the minds of local artists, photographers & entrepreneurs
ESMAA MOHAMOUD
Mohamoud often uses her work to explore identity; erasing the socially constructed lines of gender, To unearth the truth that is buried underneath today’s face on race. Despite inciting some backlash, Mohamoud is incapable of changing the terms of the conversation. For her, there is purpose in dialogue, even at the cost of a few rattled cages along the way.
BROWN & DICKSON
In An Era Dominated By Media Giants Offering Reading Material At The Touch Of A Button, The Resilience And Staying Power Of The Independent Bookstore Has Been An Unexpected Delight. Founded In 2013 By Husband-And-Wife Duo Vanessa Brown And Jason Dickson, Brown & Dickson Is Reanimating The Book Shop Experience. The Antiquarian Book Sellers Believe That A Bookstore Should Aim To Transcend The Often Mundane Retail Experience. Their Thoughtful Outlook Is A Reflection Of Their Appreciation For The Colourfully Creative Community To Which They Belong.
PRIDE 2019
There’s nothing quite like it. At first, it’s this enormous mass of moving color and sound, inching closer with each anticipated minute. The people next to me begin to stand. Children peek around adult legs, stretching away from their parent’s grasp, running into the street in wonder.
FINDING THE WARMTH IN WINTER
We asked some of our friends to eluge reflections and revelations of how they’ve become more willing to embrace winter’s not-so-warm welcome.
YAYA’S KITCHEN
POP UP SUPPER CLUB
It’s A Chilly Saturday Night In Old East Village But Inside YAYA’S Kitchen, All Things Are Warm: The Conversation, The Candlelit-Dotted Tables And Of Course The Food.
FILTHY REBENA VINTAGE
Darlene Davis and Natalie Bradshawe are London’s new powerhouse fashionista’s. They seamlessly translate their value for mindfulness and sustainability by way of carefully curated vintage goods. The fashion industry is ranked as one of the highest pollutants in the world, pair that with the horrendous working conditions associated with the industry, and you have a dangerous cocktail that is not only contributing to the decline of the planet, it is a major social justice concern. Cultivating a personal sense of style can be a rewarding form of expression for many, Davis and Bradshawe have created a space that nourishes individuality by catering a beautiful array of distinct pieces that are both easy on the eyes, as well as the conscience.
Nancy Finlayson
Envision, if you will, a green space bustling with local plant and insect life; a sanctuary from the nearby downtown streets. Picture a family of newly minted monarch butterflies perched in a bed of purple cone flowers, or a peckish yellow finch drinking rainwater from a cup plant during the peak of summer’s heat. Imagine the warm wind singing through the trees amid a chorus of peaceful bird song. What I’ve just described is the lush carolinian oasis found at Nancy Finlayson’s Stanley street garden.
Collateral Jamage
The punk scene in London, Ontario is steeped in decades of tradition, and the do-it-yourself subculture has a momentum that’s unique and very much its own within the city’s music history. Collateral Jamage Festival expresses the current moment of punk’s story—the “story”…..
Rebel Remedy
Kortekaas, a wellness devotee, with a degree in globalization studies, is the brains behind Rebel Remedy’s colorful juices and elixirs. Her studies focused on food security, development, and international politics— which imbued her with concern for the global food economy. When we bite into a pepper, we seldom think about where our food is coming from and how it makes its way to us.
Patterson, the culinary savant behind the shop’s cuisine, accredits her cooking skills to self-teaching and techniques gleaned from coworkers over the years. Having developed her culinary finesse working in several restaurants, both in London and Toronto— Patterson, like many of us, found herself tired of chasing other people’s dreams, which prompted her to open a business of her own.
MADISON POWERS
Madison Powers is a multi-dimensional artist and Bealart alum who currently lives and studies in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We brought froward a series of questions regarding how growing up in London has shaped Madison, as well as exploring the themes in current projects and sources of inspiration, and the crucial influence of the Bealart experience.
Arielle Kayabaga
London’s first black female councillor. In the sprawling Ward 13 area, Kayabaga is campaigning for inclusion in all spaces, advocating for diversity, and exploring ways to address the issue of homelessness.
Michael Gibson
Gibson possesses a broad outlook on the current state of Canadian art by embracing the young and the old, the radical and conservative, as well as the figurative and the abstract. The story alone of how Gibson came to open his very own gallery points to his approaches to curatorial practice and art collecting, revealing how he values passion and taste in everything he does.
MISHA BOWER
Speaking to Misha Bower for even just a few minutes, two things become immediately apparent: inquisition is paramount to her artistic practice, and that she’s keenly self-aware, with a razor-sharp sense of humour. We meet up in her new apartment tucked away in the Old East Village, that she’s breaking in with French 75’s and records on a loop. We discussed – without provocation – how she’s collaborative at heart; this passion pulls her from the pragmatics of her daily life as an educational aide at Fanshawe Collage and places her right in the middle of this new fantastical project.
DNA GALLERY + BOOKSHOP
Whether it’s printed goods from Ontario-based company All Sorts Press or weekly bouquets from London’s own Tania Floral Design, DNA continues to use their platform to uplift fellow entrepreneurs. Additionally, DNA provides a space for fellow creatives to form connections with other artists, authors, poets and publishers.
Alayna Hryclik
Surfacing everywhere from your best friend's closet to your favourite stores (and even in the 2017 Fall Dream Lotto Home!), Soft Flirt is a "tenderly handmade" brand blossoming in the Forest City. Alayna Hryclik took her sheepish outlook on engaging with your crush and her whimsical script-like handwriting and transformed it into sweet yet punchy lifestyle brand.
Alia Tamar
Alia’s practice not only aims to explore the complexities of her diaspora, it also takes apart the layered and relatable conflict that is mental health – teasing but never giving into the subject matter, leaving the viewer to connect the dots.
Jason McLean
This past July, McLean opened his latest exhibition, Boomerang Smile, at Michael Gibson Gallery. Following his opening, We spoke with McLean about growing up in London, an obsession with real estate and celebrity, and how “people take 2018 too seriously.”
Tobi Adebowale
Born in Lagos, Nigeria Tobi Adebowale is a local art director, stylist and designer. Tobi began his journey into fashion with a style blog called 'the eye London', a showcase for locally sourced fashion.
Jenn + Jesse
Lofthouse
Combined, Jenn and Jesse have a passion for fashion, woodworking, and uniting the community in London. Located in the heart of London, Lofthouse Living is filled with a collection of one-of-a-kind antiques and local artisan offerings. All neutral in tones, earthy in textures, and beautifully curated with bright highlights of greenery.
Harina Mokanan
One such person is Harina Mokanan, a music enthusiast with an interest in the art of connecting and community. Dabbling with everything from hosting her very own show at Radio Western (94.9FM ), to writing about music for Multimedia publication The Come Up Show. She is also one of the creative forces behind the rapturous monthly party known as Afrik - ‘’A Night of Afro Based Rhythms’’.
James Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick's work is a manifestation of his current world perspective. Constructed through reclaiming and reprocessing otherwise neglected materials, his pieces are an invitation to the viewer. We asked James to reflect on growing up in London, his discovery of the underground graffiti scene, and the strands of inspiration that weave together his audio explorations and visual oeuvre.
Tania Dupon-Martinez
With a burn of history at her back that bolsters an appreciation of her roots, Tania Dupon-Martinez is a blooming beauty in Forest City drawing inspiration from her personal relationships accented by her love of nature. Her days are spent cultivating community and experiencing all the natural beauty London has to offer. These passions are effortlessly reflected in her picture-perfect bouquets masterfully arranged in her quaint shop, and artisan prints crafted lovingly by hand on a 19th-century press. Here, Tania shares her design process, her love for London, the challenges of mixing work and art, and perhaps most importantly — where to find the best hummus in town.
Kennedy Velikonja
Kennedy Velikonja’s work sits somewhere between the fields of craft, fashion and Illustration. Born and raised in London, Velikonja now spends most of the year in New York where she attends Parsons School of Design specializing in Illustration. She has recently merged her love for drawing with her love for fashion to create Kenny Veli, a brand of colorfully printed Italian silk scarves. While still nostalgic of the past, the scarves carry a refreshingly modern twist. Characterized with shapes and spirited colors that are ultimately vibrant interpretations of everyday life. The “Luck Of The Draw” scarf is a translation of a pool table in her family home, “The Picnic at Noon” scarf is inspired by her summer days spent on the beach in Port Franks. Her approach to drawings is fresh, uninhibited, and almost always joyfully quirky in subject matter. Here, Kennedy recalls her discovery of illustration and how she made the leap from college student to entrepreneur.
Jessica & Lorik
Jessica Sarai Larios and Lorik Krasniqi are mixed media artists based here in the forest city. Jessica’s colourful and imaginative work may seem unassuming at first glance, but a closer examination reveals a deep entrenchment in rich allegory. Lorik’s work playfully translates emotion into form and vivid colour. here, the couple discuss their history, and the influence of their cultural backgrounds on their creative drive, dream collaboration, and their respective conceptions of love.