rock series, Songshu Liu, 2026. wood with burn.
Poetic, Bold and Elemental
Meet Songshu Liu, Anna Tanner and Freda Tan
Dear Friend of TOAF,
The student roster at TOAF65 was everything: poetic, bold and elemental. Here are three artists who stood out to our judges.
Songshu Liu, Best of Student
Songshu transforms discarded wood and offcuts into arresting sculptural vessels and installations, inspired by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. His booth at TOAF65 was unlike anything we’d ever seen: an oasis of calm and sophistication. He received the $1,650 Marie Collins Memorial Award & ArtHubs Toronto Inc. Award, which includes a residency at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts and a solo exhibition at Youngplace (value $2,500).
Anna Tanner, Honourable Mention Student, with a $550 gift card from Toronto School of Art.
Anna’s fast, dynamic paintings of vintage showgirls and Old Hollywood stars ask us to slow down and question how we look at pop culture icons.
Freda Tan, Student Purchase Award
Freda’s oil paintings move between abstraction and representation as she explores the five elements: fire, wood, water, earth and metal.
Read our blog post for the full Q&As. We asked Songshu, “If your work were a season, what would it be?” His answer was one word: “Winter.” We love that.
Before we go: we’re now accepting members for our coveted, intimate Collectors Collective. Over the next few months, we’ll be hosting an exciting series of collection visits, home tours, and studio and gallery tours. You’ll want to be part of this! Join us at our next gathering, Follow the Thread, on November 21. More info below.
See you there?
anahita & the TOAF Team
P.S. Our media partner Esse is gifting you 20% off a magazine subscription.
Get to know
Songshu Liu
Best of Student
“Hi, I’m Songshu Liu, a Toronto-based artist and designer working primarily with wood. I’m also the person behind Pinewabi, an independent art practice inspired by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. My work explores the beauty of imperfection, natural forms, and the stories that materials carry. I often work with discarded wood and offcuts, transforming them into sculptural objects and functional pieces. Rather than forcing wood into a perfect shape, I enjoy letting its natural character guide the process.”
Walk us through your practice.
“My process usually begins with the wood itself. I love spending time looking at different pieces, especially those that might have been overlooked or discarded. I rarely start with a completely fixed design. Instead, I respond to the grain, cracks, textures, and unexpected shapes I discover along the way. Sometimes I use burning, carving, or sanding to bring out different characteristics of the material. For me, making is a conversation with the wood. I never know exactly how a piece will turn out, and that’s what makes the process exciting.”
Why is reclaiming materials important to your practice?
“I believe every piece of wood has its own story, even if it’s considered waste. What interests me most about reclaimed materials is that they already carry traces of a previous life. A crack, a knot, or an irregular shape might be seen as a flaw, but to me, these are often the most beautiful parts. Reclaiming wood isn’t just about sustainability. It’s also about questioning how we define value and beauty, and giving something overlooked another opportunity to be appreciated.”
Where do you get your aesthetic inspirations from?
A lot of my inspiration comes from nature and the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, particularly the idea of finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. I’m drawn to organic forms, weathered surfaces, and objects that feel quiet but full of character. I also find inspiration in everyday moments, whether it’s the texture of an old tree, a piece of driftwood, or something unexpectedly beautiful that most people might
walk past. I like the idea that beauty doesn’t always need to be created. Sometimes it simply needs to
be noticed.
One word that describes your style?
“imperfection”
Hear from judge
Derek Sullivan
“A poetic, compelling body of work presented as a singular installation. The vessel forms have a sculptural presence and material sensitivity that holds a tension and allows a contemplative space to open for the viewer. The traces of process in material and techniques (the grain of the wood, the marks of the carving tools, the burnt finish) draw us into deeper engagement with ideas of time and transformation. The presentation is a bold, simple installation that elevates these qualities and amplifies their interrelationships.”
— Derek Sullivan, Associate Professor, Sculpture/Installation, OCAD University ”
Get to know Anna
Honourable Mention Student
“My name is Anna Tanner, I am a painter and curator currently based in New York. I am interested in how femininity alters how one performs and moves through patriarchal spaces, and in reversing the power structures present in objectification.”
Walk us through your practice
“Through saturated, gestural, figurative scenes, I paint the commodification of the female form and reclaim agency through my gaze. Painting alla prima, I work from references found in vintage magazines, imagery from old Hollywood, archival Playboy Club photographs, and stills of vintage showgirls, seeking to reach past the oppressive landscape within them. The scenes act as a mirror, forcing into question the viewer’s own positionality and relationship to femininity.”
Where do you get your aesthetic inspirations from?
“Growing up as a lesbian in the American South has influenced my aesthetics; formative years of early 2000s sexuality and old Hollywood glamour, encapsulated by rigid hetero patriarchal values.”
One word that describes your style?
“2000s Diva.”
If your work were an era/time period, what would it be?
“70 or 90s”
Hear from judge
Derek Sullivan
“Amongst a strong pool of painters, this work stood out for the lightness of touch and the compelling way the artist developed new compositions from archival images. The body of work together brought insight into the ways that looking + mark-making can create records of queer desire that alters our understanding of mass culture images. The artist’s technique, with its fluid marks, slows the way we look at these subjects, lets us get lost in the images.”
— Derek Sullivan, Associate Professor, Sculpture/Installation, OCAD University
Get to know Freda
Student Purchase
“Hi! My name is Freda Tan, and I’m a painter based in Toronto. I was professionally trained in both life science and visual art, and have a Bsc and BFA from U of T and OCAD. In a way, I was trained to think in both micro and macro aspects and I see things in both abstract and their organic forms. I believe the universe is in constant flux and with that constant movement and change, it brings endless possibilities and openings. I am excited for these possibilities and it shows in my paintings.”
Walk us through your practice.
“I work with multiple mediums but primarily in oil paint. My practice seeks to capture moments in life that bring possibility and openings in changes. I do that by bridging abstraction and representation through research and the recurring motif of the 5 elements: fire, wood, water, earth and metal. Every culture has stories about the elements, and their own relationship with them. I believe these elements are a transitional throughline of our existence (my practice as well). I really enjoy researching the subject matter that I work on and I get so excited talking about them whenever I finish a painting.”
Where do you get your aesthetic inspirations from?
“My aesthetic is quite warm, vibrant and sparkly. I would say it is influenced by my lived experience, you know, being surrounded by love, joy and happiness. It is my way of responding to our collective experience as well, when life gets harder, my work gets softer, and when life gets quite dull, my brushstroke is bold”
What is your dream location to install your work?
“It would be awesome to see my work in a cozy movie..”
FOLLOW THE THREAD:
A CC Gathering on November 21
Join the Collectors Collective for a studio visit with longtime TOAF artist Kal Mansur, followed by a stroll to a conversation at Lustre Contemporary with gallery founders and artists Mara Minuzzo and Patrick Lajoie, alongside curator Maita Sayo. This will be an afternoon to explore the journey from making art to collecting it, and making some new friends along the way.
From Esse Magazine
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