In this ArtBeat episode, artist Peter Hong-Tsun Chan guides us through a landscape of half-formed memories, where shapes and scenes echo with a subtle nostalgia. Reflecting on a childhood set between Hong Kong’s bustling energy and Toronto’s calm, Peter finds meaning in the objects, rituals, and places of his past—each carrying a resonance both grounding and elusive. His paintings hold these fleeting memories, allowing them to flicker gently between recollection and imagination.
Peter’s fascination with games of chance began in family Mahjong games, where laughter mixed with whispered strategies and a sense of thrilling unpredictability. These early moments with risk and luck sparked his journey into exploring the rituals and unknowns that shape our lives. His art doesn’t settle on conclusions but holds within it an openness, where chance and choice intertwine.
Next, Peter’s work will appear in a group show at New York’s Plato Gallery starting November 26, 2024, where he unveils a new motif: bread—simple, universal, and layered with symbolism. His journey continues next year with exhibitions in Beijing, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, expanding his exploration across cultures and memories.
Follow Peter’s work on Instagram at @peterchanart or visit peterchanart.com. Join us as Peter’s art opens a window into the interplay of memory, identity, and life’s subtle mysteries.
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Julie Moon’s journey into ceramics unfolds with captivating depth. From an early curiosity for materials to an unexpected shift from textiles to clay, her story reveals a process led by intuition and a love for experimentation. Julie’s vibrant use of ornamentation, patterns, and striking colours, paired with her unique take on human forms, offers a fresh perspective that challenges traditional views in the world of ceramics. In this conversation, she discusses her inspirations, particularly her fascination with natural elements like fruits, flowers, and other everyday objects, which bring new layers of symbolism to her practice.
As for upcoming exhibits, Julie is currently part of the group show “Elaborate” at Harbourfront Centre, which runs until December 29th. In the new year, she will be featured in a two-person show with Kate O'Connor at Hunt Gallery and will also have a solo show titled “Fruits” in one of the gallery spaces at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.
You can find Julie’s work at Patel Brown Gallery and glimpse her artistic process on Instagram @juliemoooon, or explore her portfolio at juliemoon.com.
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In this conversation, we’re welcomed into Olga Abeleva’s world as she steps into a new chapter of artistic exploration. She shares glimpses of her journey, reaching back to a childhood filled with creative discovery, influenced deeply by her mother’s inventive spirit. Olga’s work today forms a vivid tapestry of inspiration—from Eastern European literature to the unpolished charm of pop culture, with threads drawn from the suspense and allure of horror and film noir. Her characters emerge as multi-layered figures, hinting at lives that extend far beyond the canvas.
Inspired by the theatricality of 80s horror and the surreal mood of analog cinema, Olga’s storytelling gains a dreamlike quality, as her imagery interlaces hidden connections. Her spaces are at once familiar and slightly unsteady, evoking fragmented memories and architectural traces that invite a second glance.
Now, with a renewed focus, Olga ventures into uncharted creative paths. To explore her work further, visit olgaabeleva.ca, view her portfolio with Patel Brown Gallery, and follow her on Instagram at @whatsunderthemattress.
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A creative world shaped by family legacy, spirituality, and the power of colour—this is where Janna Watson draws you in during this episode of ArtBeat. With roots planted in an artistically rich upbringing, Janna shares stories from her childhood, filled with lessons from her painter grandfather and furniture designer grandmother, both of whom deeply influenced her creative spirit.
Her latest series, Speaking in Tongues, captivates with its use of colour, form, and space, designed to evoke emotion before interpretation. Janna also shares how tarot and spirituality shape her artistic lens, offering a fascinating perspective on the balance of light and dark, both in life and in her work.
From the disciplined rhythms of her studio practice to her reflections on how space—whether city or countryside—shapes her process, this episode offers an inside look at Janna’s evolving relationship with her art. But beneath it all lies something deeper: a story of personal growth, reclaiming spirituality, and transforming her studio into a sacred space of self-discovery.
Discover Janna’s work on Instagram at @jannawww and visit her website at jannawatson.com. You can experience her latest exhibition, Speaking in Tongues, at Laura Rathe Fine Art in Houston until November 21, 2024, with another solo show to follow at Sugar Lift in New York in Spring 2025. Janna’s work will also be included in a group exhibition presented by Bau-Xi Gallery at Art Toronto from October 25-27, 2024 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
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In this episode of ArtBeat, we’re joined by Mia Nielsen, Director of Art Toronto, who shares her fascinating journey into the world of art and her role in shaping the country’s most prominent art fair. Growing up between Ontario and Denmark, Mia’s early experiences with creativity—from her musical roots to her love for museums—laid the groundwork for her curatorial career. Her 12 years at the Drake Hotel saw her curate bold, experimental projects and foster collaborations with leading cultural institutions, experiences that have informed her approach to running Art Toronto.
Mia reflects on her time so far at Art Toronto, and how the fair continues to hold a vital place in the international art fair circuit, showcasing a distinctively Canadian perspective with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion, particularly through the work of Indigenous artists. She offers insight into this year’s programming, highlighting its public installations and immersive experiences designed to captivate audiences.
As Art Toronto celebrates its 25th anniversary, Mia considers how the art world has evolved, especially in a digital age, and what it means to encounter art in person. We also discuss the importance of collectors in sustaining the Canadian art market and how the fair creates meaningful connections between artists, galleries, curators, and collectors.
Join us as Mia offers a rich exploration of curating an art fair that engages audiences and nurtures the Canadian art ecosystem.
You can follow Mia on Instagram at @seekthesublime, Art Toronto at @art_toronto, or visit arttoronto.ca for more details.
The fair runs from October 24-27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, with a special opening night on Thursday benefiting the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.
Get your tickets here and don’t miss this opportunity to experience the best of contemporary art!
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In this episode of ArtBeat, we sit down with Toronto-based painter Amelia Valentine, who opens up about how art became her lifeline during illness and depression. As a self-taught artist, Amelia reveals how themes of nature’s cycles, mortality, and technology shape her work, reflecting the tension between beauty and decay.
Amelia shares her journey as a late bloomer in the art world, describing how Toronto’s art community gave her the space to grow. She speaks candidly about mental health, the healing power of painting, and the balance between chaos and control in her creative process.
Listen as Amelia reflects on what it means to create through darkness and how her work continues to evolve. You can find Amelia’s work on her website and Instagram.
Content warning: This episode discusses suicidal ideation and mental health themes.
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In this episode, Maxine McCrann reflects on her unexpected shift into becoming a full-time artist, a change that began in the stillness of early pandemic days. Before that, art was a private thing, something she did alone. But a friend's small request—a simple drawing—set something in motion. The realization that her work could bring happiness to others became the catalyst she didn’t know she needed.
Maxine speaks about her evolving style, how the pursuit of realism once defined her art, but over time, it gave way to something more alive, more spontaneous. Joy replaced perfection, and her work began to reflect the simple beauty of everyday moments—shared meals, the closeness of family, fleeting gatherings that linger in memory.
You can discover Maxine’s work on her website, follow her on Instagram, or browse her paintings and prints on Peggy and Tacit.
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Jake Kimble’s story doesn’t begin in a gallery, or even near one. It begins in Treaty 8 territory, where traditional art spaces felt distant. During trips to Edmonton, it was the glossy tabloid magazines in grocery store checkout lines that gave him his first glimpse into the visual world—a preview of what would later become his language as an artist.
Now based in Vancouver, Jake identifies as two-spirited, a truth about himself that shapes his art and worldview. It influences how he sees, how he moves through the world, and ultimately, how he tells stories. His practice—spanning photography, self-portraiture, and curation—blends humour, personal history, and the gravity of lived experience.
In this episode, Jake opens up about grief and how photography became a tool for survival, a way to process the unbearable. We also explore his concept of “queering the lens,” how he turns traditional photography inside out, challenging colonial narratives and reimagining gender and identity. Content warning: This episode briefly discusses grief and suicide at 32:57.
As Curatorial Director at Ceremonial/Art Gallery, Jake’s work expands outward, focusing on creating space for Indigenous voices, both his own and others, voices that need to be heard. We discuss the ongoing challenges Indigenous artists face in the Canadian art world—the systems in place, the weight of histories that never quite leave—and how he’s working to shift and disrupt them, in large and small ways.
You can explore Jake’s work on his website and follow him on Instagram. His upcoming exhibitions include Picturing Ourselves at The ACT Arts Centre Gallery, running until December 21, 2024, and his participation in Art Toronto with United Contemporary from October 24-27, 2024, where he will also talk about his practice.
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In the first episode of ArtBeat’s third season, Mony Zakhour reflects on his journey from Halifax to Toronto, where he shifted from business school to bartending, eventually dedicating himself fully to art. From his first show in Japan to curating Cry Baby Gallery, Mony’s work balances abstract “designed chaos” with layers of meaning.
With Cry Baby Gallery set for Scope Art Fair at Art Basel Miami and Mony’s art soon to be featured in cities like New York, DC, and Detroit, he will also take part in the Art Gallery of Ontario's (AGO) Art Bash gala on September 26, 2024.
Find Mony at Gallery 133 and on Instagram.
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There's a certain cadence to Kim Dorland's voice—a rhythm that speaks of survival and a life lived on the edge of things. It’s the cadence of someone who has seen existence from the margins, where he grew up amidst a backdrop he calls abject poverty. Kim doesn’t sugarcoat his beginnings. He doesn’t need to. The harsh, unvarnished reality of his youth forms the very canvas upon which his art is laid bare.
As we close out our second season, we bring you a conversation that cuts through the noise. In an art scene that can often feel overly refined to the point of sterility, Kim’s work stands apart, unapologetically visceral. His paintings live in between abstraction and representation, navigating a terrain that defies neat categorization. He isn’t chasing beauty; rather, his work grapples with the uneasy tensions between love and loss, between the remnants of grief and the haunting echoes of his past.
As he prepares for his upcoming exhibition, "Nothing is good anymore," opening on September 14th, 2024, at Patel Brown Gallery in Toronto, you get the sense that this show is different. The paintings are stripped down, drained of colour. They reflect his current preoccupation with grief, but Kim doesn’t dwell in sadness—he confronts it, stares it down, and in doing so, discovers an unexpected kind of beauty.
You can find Kim’s work at Patel Brown Gallery, Equinox Gallery in Vancouver, and on his Instagram.
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From a bunkhouse in Northwest Ontario to the ancient forests of Vancouver Island, Kyle Scheurmann's journey unfolds with an unyielding need to bear witness, to transform what he sees and feels into something concrete, something that communicates when language falls short. His paintings become living records, artifacts of a world teetering on the edge, yet still clinging to its fragile beauty.
As Kyle prepares for his upcoming solo exhibition at Bau-Xi Gallery in Vancouver, "Falling Stars Made of Ashes," he reflects on the emotional and spiritual undercurrents that have influenced this new collection. Unlike his previous show in Toronto, “Split My Full Moon Heart”, which concentrated on the immediate, palpable realities of climate collapse, this exhibition explores the ephemeral, the deeply personal, and the intensely remembered. The show opens on September 14th, 2024 and promises to be a powerful exploration of memory, fear, and the relentless passage of time.
Kyle is also gearing up for the third annual Art Auction for Old Growth, happening online from September 19th to 26th, 2024. This year, a new group of artists has come together to support the preservation of British Columbia's most endangered ancient forests. You can visit the auction's Givergy page, now live for registration and a full preview of the artwork. Since its inception in 2022, the auction has raised over $60,000, with all proceeds going to the Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF). NBSF is dedicated to protecting Canada’s most threatened ecosystems by supporting the creation of new protected areas, with a strong emphasis on Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.
You can find more of Kyle’s work at Bau-Xi Gallery in Toronto, on his website and Instagram.
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In conversation with Vickie Vainionpää, an artist whose work navigates the spaces where the artificial meets the natural, we find ourselves exploring what it means to create in an era saturated with technology. Her journey began in the basement of her childhood home, a place where curiosity first took root, eventually leading her into the realm of generative art. Her work questions the very concept of ‘natural,’ revealing how the lines between human and machine often dissolve into ambiguity.
As the dialogue deepens, Vickie reflects on the philosophical underpinnings of her art. She speaks of a world where the artificial and the natural converge, where technology no longer stands apart but entwines our daily existence, creating a seamless reality. Her perspective carries an assurance, a belief that art, even in this digital age, continues to provoke, to mirror society, and to ask the questions that matter.
Vickie’s embrace of technology in her creative process reflects a vision that reaches beyond conventional boundaries, engaging with a world that is vast and interconnected. In her work, the distinctions blur, and the inquiry remains: what does it mean to create in a world where the tools of creation are shaped by both human hands and digital codes? Vickie offers no definitive answers, only the idea that art, at its core, is a reflection of the complex, evolving world we inhabit.
Vickie will be showing her Gaze Paintings with Olga Korper Gallery at The Armoury Show in New York this September 2024. You can find Vickie’s work in Berlin at Future Gallery, in Montreal at Patrick Mikhail Gallery, and in Italy at Nicola Pedana Gallery.
You can also view more of Vickie’s work on her Instagram and website.
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Ernesto Cabral de Luna's artistic evolution unfolds like a map of lost and found memories, each piece a marker of the shifting landscapes of identity and cultural hybridity. As a Mexican lens-based artist, Ernesto navigates the fluid and often elusive boundaries of memory, drawing us into a world where images are captured, reshaped, and reimagined, prompting a deeper consideration of ownership and perception.
In this conversation, Ernesto reflects on the path that led him to earn his BFA in Photography from OCAD University in 2024, a period marked by the Barbara Astman Photography Award and a residency at Gallery 44. His work, currently featured in the group exhibition "It comes to me in waves" at Patel Brown Gallery in Toronto until September 7, 2024, explores the layers of diasporic identity and the immigrant experience.
Ernesto’s approach to art is deeply rooted in the desire to manipulate and reshape perception, crafting new narratives from the fragments of the past. He discusses his recent projects, including a mural at Finch Station as part of the Luminato Festival, which will be on display until the end of August 2024, the design of a reusable bag for Walmart, to be distributed nationwide during Latin Heritage Month, his upcoming exhibition at Ignite Gallery on September 4, 2024, and his participation in the 2024 Art with Heart auction collection this October 2024.
You can explore Ernesto's work on his Instagram and website.
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Today on ArtBeat, we speak with Adrienna Matzeg, an artist whose work serves as a bridge between memory and material, crafting stories out of thread and light. Adrienna's art operates in that space where the tangible meets the ephemeral, where photographs and textiles blend to capture the ineffable essence of the past.
Our conversation winds through the sunlit streets of Los Angeles and the intricate architecture of Europe, places that have left indelible marks on Adrienna’s imagination. Her art is both a reflection and a reconstruction of these landscapes, weaving them into textiles through the meticulous punch needle technique.
Adrienna shares how her early influences—steeped in the textile traditions of her family and the disciplined art of photography—shaped her artistic vision. These elements come together in a practice that cherishes process and precision, echoing the textures of reminiscence and the colours of nostalgia.
Adrienna's work is gaining momentum on an international stage, poised for her new collection launch with Tacit, available here, and a feature at the Affordable Art Fair in New York.
Adrienna’s work can be viewed on her website, through her Instagram, and is available through Peggy. Her pieces also reside in the physical spaces of Earl's restaurants in Toronto.
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Moses Salihou's reflections take us into the world where portraiture and abstraction converge, demanding more than a cursory glance. Moses speaks with the gravitas of someone immersed in the nuances of emotion and representation, describing his shift from detailed, realistic portraits to the expansive freedom of abstraction.
His thick applications of oil paint, combined with the visceral strokes of his palette knife, create a textural richness that beckons both sight and touch. This complexity is not to be passively observed but actively felt, each layer revealing his inner landscape and challenging the viewer to engage more deeply.
Moses’s work spans continents, finding homes in private collections from Europe to New Zealand, Africa to Asia, and North America. His exhibitions cover the United States and Canada, each piece reflecting his global impact. His insights on the Canadian art scene are both hopeful and sharp. Moses envisions a growing recognition for minority artists, an art world blossoming with the energy reminiscent of New York. His perspective is a clarion call, an invitation to engage with an evolving artistic frontier.
Anticipation builds for his upcoming show at Metivier Gallery on September 7, 2024. Moses shares his excitement for a series of smaller, abstract figurative works that explore themes of emotion and human interaction. His work is available through Metivier Gallery in Toronto, at the Tanya Weddemire Gallery in New York, or viewed on Instagram.
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Delali Cofie's journey into photography is rooted in a time of stillness. It began with the ordinary act of documenting school life in Burkina Faso with a digital camera. However, it was in 2018, during a period of significant personal loss, that photography evolved from a simple pastime into a vital practice.
Delali’s work is intrinsically intertwined with his Ghanaian-Nigerian heritage and the duality of living between cultures. His thesis project, "At the conjuring of roots, I wished to meet Me," is a visual exploration of identity through the lens of West African masquerade. These images blend personal and cultural histories, creating a narrative that is both intimate and universally resonant.
Join us as we walk with Delali through the intricate terrains of memory and identity, where art transforms into a lifeline and a medium for self-understanding.
To explore more of Delali's work, visit his website and follow him on Instagram. You can also see his work in person at the upcoming group exhibition “It comes to me in waves” at Patel Brown Gallery in Toronto, opening on August 1—September 7, 2024.
Delali's work has been exhibited across Ontario, including Gallery 44 and Gallery 101, and is currently in the "Black Dreams and Aspirations" exhibit at Union Station in Toronto until August 31, 2024. His photography was featured in legendary Ghanaian photographer James Barnor’s retrospective catalogue at the Arles Photography Festival in 2022. Delali's first solo exhibition, "A Place of Ours," was included in the CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto in 2022, and he has created commissioned work for the Royal Bank of Canada. Delali will also participate in the Photo Vogue Festival in Milan in March 2025. An upcoming photobook is also in the works.
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We meet Vanessa McKernan, an artist who unspools the threads of her journey with a kind of visceral honesty that recalls those elusive moments in life where art and existence intersect.
Vanessa speaks of art as a sanctuary, a retreat from the bustle of her upbringing, a method of dissociation that later evolved into a deliberate practice of immersion. The studio becomes a crucible where personal history and emotional landscape meld into the canvas, a space where the outside world fades, and the act of creation takes precedence.
Her body of work, an exploration of the human condition and the cycles of life, can be discovered on her newly launched website, and through her Instagram. Vanessa’s paintings can also be found at Spence Gallery and Wall Space Gallery.
Upcoming highlights include her participation in the Seattle Art Fair with Spence Gallery from July 25-28th and a feature in NOD Magazine, Issue 29, launching July 18th.
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In this week’s episode of ArtBeat, we follow the contours of David Constantino Salazar’s artistic journey, a narrative woven with the intricate threads of family, choice, and destiny. David’s childhood, filled with days of drawing, led him to a pivotal decision between further studies or military service. His brothers intervened, steering him towards art school and igniting a path of life-changing artistic discovery. Transformative travels in Latin America, especially the Amazon, offered moments of stillness and reflection, shaping his ongoing series "Forever Birds Botanical." This work captures the dance between life and decay, embodying our fragility and resilience.
David’s residencies at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Gardiner Museum further honed his craft, blending meticulous academic representation with raw, unfiltered creativity. His pieces, rich with metaphor, traverse the landscapes of human emotion and experience, using birds and botanicals to explore themes of impermanence and metamorphosis. The tactile process of hand-modeling clay, contrasted with the permanence of bronze, invites viewers into an intimate exploration of renewal.
Looking ahead, David prepares for a solo exhibition at Museum London in 2025. He is also working on a public art commission in Toronto, set for the same year. To explore more of David Constantino Salazar’s work, visit his website, follow him on Instagram, or see his pieces at Samara Contemporary.
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In this episode of ArtBeat, Katie engages with Holly Stapleton, an illustrator and painter rooted in Toronto. Holly's narrative unfolds from the innocent artistry of an IKEA playplace to the vibrant streets of Montreal, where she discovered a community that fostered her evolution. Her work, suffused with gouache textures and the ethereal glow of golden-hour light, captures moments of selfhood, the complexities of relationships, and the bittersweet pangs of nostalgia. In editorial and commercial realms, she wields her brush with self-taught freedom, translating her instincts into a visual language that speaks to the human condition.
Holly's life oscillates between the relentless tempo of New York and the reflective cadence of Toronto, each city imparting its influence on her art. She explores the trials of rendering mental images onto canvas, the balance between editorial constraints and personal voice. Her portfolio, a testament to her talent, features collaborations with The New Yorker, Airbnb, Warby Parker, Google, ELLE, Architectural Digest, Netflix, The New York Times, Rolex, and more. As she looks forward, Holly envisions a return to personal projects, a deeper exploration of oil painting, and a closer connection with the Toronto art scene.
Holly’s work can be found at Abbozzo Gallery in Toronto, on her website, and Instagram.
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In a landscape often marked by the banal and the predictable, Dominique Sirois emerges as a voice of exquisite dissonance.
Dominique speaks of her early days, sketching in the quiet corners of her youth, and the surrealist currents that swept her into the realm of oil and canvas. Her first piece—a woman entwined with a tree, a dreamscape that entranced the surreal into her young consciousness—marks the beginning of her journey.
We explore the mental cartographies she constructs in her installations, where space becomes poetry and objects transform into ideologies. Her work embodies the alchemy of art, transforming ceramics and sculpture into vessels of spirituality and a critique of capitalism. Dominique's quest to channel the intangible energies that vibrate just beneath the surface of our material world is a central theme in her creations.
Dominique's work can be experienced in person at Patel Brown Gallery. To explore more, visit her website or Instagram. Mark your calendars for her solo exhibition at l'Écart, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, in February 2026.
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