Artist Statement

During my studies at OCAD University, I began exploring material representation through glass, metal, wood, sculpture, painting, and more. Each of these processes granted me access into a new mode of expression—one not only grounded in its material qualities but also offering infinite possibilities when used in combination. It was this dynamism that called me to collage: the ability to cut apart, smash, reassemble, and freely use materials without restraint.

As a poet, metaphor is a valuable part of my writing practice because it allows me to connect more deeply with my emotional environment by relating it to something tangible. It’s no different in my visual practice. Instead of looking for words to describe an event, I use the materials themselves to tell the story—soaking paper in ice-cold water to create the emotional narrative of a blizzard, for example. Conversely, in some of my works, the act of creating—with its wild, ever-changing, and constantly evolving possibilities—is what leads me to the finished piece.

I often ask myself: do I have the words I need to accurately express this emotion? And if I don’t, do I have the materials? In my work, Open, I demonstrate this process, developed during a residency in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where I felt the weight of my diasporic Caribbean identity and struggled to articulate this inward conflict. I recorded sounds of ripping seeds, rinsing paint brushes, and a sitar to compose a sound poem that formed a new relationship to my environment. This gave me invaluable insight into my emotions and later opened the door for honest conversations with my Tobagonian family.

So I keep collecting—picture books from childhood, chairs found on sidewalks in the Beaches, Toronto—objects that help me uncover deeper meaning. At the heart of it all is play. Play is vital to my process—it keeps me open and curious. More importantly, it reflects the ways I’m continually being reshaped, redefined, and recollaged by Jesus, in whom I experience the fullness of the Creator.

CV

Education

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) with Distinction, Ontario College of Art + Design University, Toronto, Canada, 2025

Residencies

  • Preservation and Perseverance: Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Practice, Collaboration with ISDSI and OCAD University, led by Jennie Suddick, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2024
  • Creative Writing, Performance, and Experiential Learning, led by Ian Keteku, Accra, Ghana, 2024
  • Defying the Margins, led by Christopher Cozier and Esery Mondesir, Alice Yard, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, 2024

Performances

  • Special Guest at Friday Night on the Mic hosted by OCAD University’s Creative Writing Program, Toronto, Canada, 2024
  • The Next Chapter Festival hosted by The Reading Partnership, Scarborough, Canada (Invitation by Lillian Allen), 2024
  • Roaming Poets at Word on the Street, Toronto, Canada, 2024
  • The Blank Page Contemplation Space, TIFA, Toronto, Canada, 2024
  • Emceed Student Literary Cabaret, TIFA, Toronto, Canada, 2023
  • Student Literary Cabaret, TIFA, Toronto, Canada, 2023
  • Global Designs and ARTchives, Ada Slaight Gallery, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada, 2023
  • Talk Party hosted by EHALAKASA, Accra, Ghana, 2023 
  • Orality and Function, Canadian Consulate, Accra, Ghana, 2023
  • Defying the Margins, Organized by Christopher Cozier and Esery Mondesir, Alice Yard, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, 2023 
  • Emceed Final Reading, Creating Writing Program, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 2023
  • Final Reading, Creating Writing Program, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada, 2023
  • People, Power, & the Park, Allan Gardens, Toronto, Canada (Invitation by Lillian Allen), 2022

Publications 

  • (Upcoming)The Cat, The Clock, and The Rock Collection, Curated by Ryan Gander, OCAD University, 2025
  • “Aspen Grove” Pulse Digital Journal, 2nd ed., OCAD University, 2023 
  • “Olivia Eyre” MJF Creative: Author Lookbook, 1st ed., Central Avenue Publishing & MFJ Creative, 2023

Presentations

  • “Playing in Memory,” The Spice of Life: Locating Play in the Everyday, The F Word: Fun, Agency, and Creativity as a Life Ethic, OCAD University's CADN Graduate Student Conference, Toronto, Canada, 2024

Exhibitions 

  • GradEx 110, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada, 2025
  • Reminisce, Student Curated, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada, 2023
  • Defying the Margins: Student Exhibition, Curated by Madeline Collins and Madalyn Shaw, Ada Slaight Gallery, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada, 2023
  • Defying the Margins: A Group Show, Curated by Madalyn Shaw, Organized by Christopher Cozier and Esery Mondesir, Alice Yard, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, 2023
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