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Hi friends,
We thought it's best to kick off our new cycle of news with the magical and curious works of Kima Lenaghan, the winner of TOAF's 2018 Best of Student and Student Purchase Award. Let us take you on a journey into her world.
Kima is an illustrator and fine artist, interested in world-building and narratives drawn from varied fields of research, from consciousness, to fungi, to paradox. Her drawings, prints, zines, and ceramics are inspired by memories and perpetual daydreaming. These inspirations are preoccupied with delicate line work, imagined narratives, and curiosities. Her work is a eulogy to science, nature, and magic within humanity.
Kima landed at this year's fair through our partnership with OCAD University’s Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers where she first won their Career Launcher award to be part of the roster of OCADU students at Toronto Outdoor Art Fair.
Award judges on Kima's work
“Lenaghan imagines an attentive world evolved with homo conscience, and humankind that is more profound in thinking, values the earth more, understands dreams as more significant – individually or collectively. Hyper-detailed, hand-drawn illustration with a recent foray into embroidery. Astounding!”
Justine Kohleal, RBC Curatorial Fellow and Joshua Heuman, Curator of Education and Public Programs at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
We are thrilled for the exciting opportunities that have come her way as a result of winning one of our most coveted awards. Apart from winning the Marie Collins Memorial Award ($1000 cash), Kima has many exciting opportunities to explore and flourish through her full-circle, holistic Artscape Award that includes a one-year membership to Artscape Daniels Launchpad, an exciting new hub for creative entrepreneurs from all disciplines (read more below), where she can hone her business skills and access resources. The award also includes a residency at Artscape Gibraltar point, to explore and research ides and an exhibition at Artscape Youngplace to showcase her new work to new audiences.
From our partners at Artscape on this award
Artscape is proud to support the Best of Student Award at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair and we send our warmest congratulations to Kima Lenaghan, the 5th recipient of the Artscape Award. Making space for creativity and transforming communities is at the core of what we do at Artscape, as well as supporting artists to thrive through opportunities to exhibit their work and collaborate with and learn from their peers. With this award we’re pleased to support the work of emerging artists through a residency at our unique Toronto Island artist retreat, Artscape Gibraltar point and by providing the opportunity for a one-week solo exhibition. We are also excited to offer this year’s recipient a one-year membership to Artscape Daniels Launchpad. This first-of-its-kind creative entrepreneurship hub and community is designed to help artists, designers and creators build thriving careers by providing facilities, programs, services and support tailored for a broad range of creative disciplines. Past award recipients have mounted inspiring and thought provoking shows enjoyed by hundreds of visitors to our community hubs. We look forward to working with Kima on the details of her upcoming solo exhibition at Artscape Youngplace, which will run in January.
We also heard that Kima was discovered by a literary agent during the fair and she is commissioned for a children's book illustration project that we can't wait to see. Make sure to check our Instagram stories to take a peek into her studio and hear directly from Kima about her creative process. We are looking forward to following her creative journey and sharing those stories with you.
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