Perceptions is an exhibit that showcases various ways of looking at the world around us. For some, it is through our culture, and for others, it is capturing the feeling of a moment, or just simply what is in front of them. Regardless of the direction, one perceives the theme, the malleability of your perception is ever evolving and unique to you. 

This exhibit displays 8 talented artists that have varying understandings of the world around them. Giuseppe Mandarino and Mark Viola both gravitate towards cultural influencers such as Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles etc. and consider these icons as people who have shaped who they are. While Emily Lightstone, Tina Nazarali and Patricia Nolan find beauty in soft details of everyday life. Their inspiration draws from what they feel around them, bodies of water, architecture, animals or the humans around them. They base their art on serene atmospheres which contrasts with our final three artists: Dinesh Subramanian, Rishi, and Kiyungi Fundikira. These three artists focus heavily on cityscapes and find charm in their hometown Toronto. While the subject remains the same, their technique and focus differs in each collection. Each artist has a unique style and their perception is heavily influenced by our very own concrete jungle. 

Giuseppe Mandarino

Giuseppe Mandarino’s work represents the zeitgeist of old Hollywood and the inspiration drawn from the 60s-70s.  Like many other Canadians, Mandarino grew up consuming American content. After being introduced to The Beatles and Elvis at a young age, music continues to shape who he is and still uses it as the backbone of his creativity (Mandarino, 2022). In his display, he showcases a series of Natalie Wood paintings and two paintings of Elvis Presely. With both surfacing fame in similar time frames, Mandarino thought it would be a good combination of artists to exhibit. Their marks left behind in the entertainment industry is especially fascinating to Manderino as success was achieved and taken away so quickly for them. “I think that because they died so young is why people are so enamoured by them still today.  I think people feel like they both had much longer careers ahead of them had they not died, but perhaps we wouldn't feel the same about them if they hadn't died.” (Mandarino, 2022) While he and the rest of the world piece together their tragic deaths, their creativity left behind continues to enhance Mandarino’s creative process (one of his favourite things about his art).  

Mark Viola

Similar to Giuseppe Mandarino, Mark Viola finds inspiration in music when discovering  his creative voice. He uses music as a tool to let go and tune into his mindset. The surrounding world around Viola is what shapes his art into what it is and what he allows on the canvas. Whatever is going on in his life, Mark reflects that in his work and claims his art “becomes my reaction to the world” (Viola, 2022). He hopes that his art is something people can find meaning behind and look beyond what is blatantly there.

Mark showcases 6 paintings in our Perceptions exhibit. While primarily focusing on the colours red, blue, white and black. Viola produces a particular style which includes text and contrasting elements. However, typography remains to be one of Viola's signature styles within his work as it allows him to build on the existing visual aspect and convey the mood more clearly. His fascination with the use of typography stems from the actual meaning behind the words as well as the style of text. In his Piece ‘Show a Little Faith’, Viola quotes Bruce Springteen, and paints “show a little faith, there's magic in the night”. There is clearly a connection between the two artists. Viola speaks about how he was not always a fan of Springsteen's work, and how his biography has since shifted his perspective on his storytelling ability. This particular line resonates with Mark due to the faith he has in himself because of his wife. “She has been my faith and magic” (Viola, 2022).

Emily Lightstone 

Our busy world around us sometimes allows for silent and still moments that can be captured by those who find beauty in it, Emily Lightstone does just that. Her exhibit focuses on how her surroundings (especially water) appear in the moment rather than how they always seem. She loves capturing nature due to its ever changing state. She utilizes her art as a way to focus on the new beauty the earth provides her and the small joys in everyday life. “I love that you could be having the worst day ever, and you can still look up at the sky and say ‘wow those clouds are beautiful” (Lightstone, 2022).

What truly allows Lightstone to observe water the way she does is her position as a stormwater engineer. This sets her apart from others that simply admire water, but allows her to think about the motion of water in a more indepth perspective. During her daily walks by Lake Ontario and the Credit River, Lightstone observes changes in the state of water and how it differs from the day before. This is her sole artistic inspiration and can be applied in a variety of ways. The message Lightstone sends to her audience is “to think about the places in their daily life that might fade into the background of their routine” (Lightstone, 2022). The very essence of her paintings is inspired by the calm joy you feel when looking at a sunset, Lightstone conveys this emotion very clearly through her pieces. 

Tina Nazarali 

Tina Nazarali draws inspiration from the places she has traveled to and the experiences she gathered throughout her life. She likes to think of the world as her home rather than one individual place. For her, the diversity that surrounds her improves her overall health and helps encourage her to work hard for the life she aspires to live. In her collection of art, Nazarali displays various examples of classic architecture and symmetry. The unique attributes of these specific landmarks represent intellect and boldness for her, something that is hard to come by in the modern world. In her painting ‘Magnificent Tuscany’ , the limestone and terracotta roof tiles stand out and give an ‘old world Europe feeling.’ says Nazarali. Through her travels she documents her surroundings through oil and acrylic. Using this medium allows her to convey the essence of her environment in a more controlled way, rather than using a camera. 

Patricia Nolan

Partricia Nolan’s wall includes two series of paintings. While both very similar in style, she captures our very own Kensington Market up close and personal and a series of ‘cottage style’ animals. Patricia captures her still images of Toronto en plein air. This special space is one where many come to relax, but in a slightly different manner than anywhere else in the city. People converse easily and spontaneously (Nolan, 2022). One of her treasured activities is people watching and this area is easily a favourite for her. As she sits there, she captures each small detail with the stroke of a brush, her devotion to detail is undoubtedly one of the most distinguishing features of her work. This remains constant even as she has evolved as an artist. Nolan currently focuses on wet-on-wet techniques before attending to the finer details, while she used to paint the details synchronously, she has since progressed into a different style.

In her Kensington Market series, Nolan captures life in the simplest form, exactly how it was in the moment. “Kensington Market is an ever-evolving place of course, but it is continuously under threat from developers who perhaps don’t best understand the spirit of the place, and it was important to me to capture the essence of this very special place in our city before it is irreversibly transformed” (Nolan, 2022). This small corner of Toronto is held near and dear to many Torontonians, and capturing the essence of it is a difficult task, however Nolan attempts and succeeds in such a creative way.

 Dinesh Subramanian 

Through Dinesh Subramanian’s realistic rendering of Toronto, we can clearly see the details and stillness of the city. While the city is filled with many buildings and lights, most of Subramanian’s work captures a hollow environment. His attention to detail is placed in contrast to the various elements often forgotten by city folk. The constant need to rush and get to the destination is an indoctrinated idea many inhabit. Subramanian likes to include as many details as he possibly can to make an accurate representation of the city. This allows his painting to fully exhibit what Toronto has to offer, even the forgotten details by many.

Half of Dinesh Subramanian’s display is inspired by rain and the cozy feeling he craves from it. All it takes is the smell of the first drop to change the atmosphere, the reflection of greys and reds appear more clearly, and lights become a new exciting subject. “reflections are also very interesting to me, like opening a portal to another world” (Subramanian, 2022). The calming emotions of the rain provoke a different story and experience of the world around you, claims Dinesh.

Since the pandemic, Subramanian’s experimental use of watercolour has become life changing. Prior to his use of this medium, it has always been a daunting method, one he did not intend to explore. After seeing one of his favourite artists utilize watercolour, it inspired Dinesh to practice with the runny texture. As he understood the medium more, the unpredictable quality of this paint became favoured. A medium in which helped him complete his paintings, one that completed his initial thought. His practice with watercolour persists, and enhances with every stroke.

Rishi 

As one of our artists who focus mainly on cityscapes, Rishi utilizes contrast in colour to allow his work to stand out. Each colour used is purposely done to convey a tone set by the bustling city of Toronto. For Rishi, pink is an indication of lust or comfort, as used in his work, ‘Pink CNset’ as a city he considers home, and also used in ‘Metro’ for the apartment windows. Colour is a significant communication tool for Rishi and the work he creates. One consistent contrast he uses is yellow against black, this is used as an indication for uncertainty and warning. This combination is repeated throughout his paintings as a common emotion that takes place in the city. The use of Yellow is used in ‘Metro’ most effectively, as it sheds light on social interactions and driving and the dangers that can come with it.

Two pieces that naturally stand out from the rest, is ‘Bora Bora’, and ‘Abbey Road’. While both under the theme Perceptions, they differ from the site Toronto. Rishi chose to capture ‘Bora Bora’ during the pandemic due to its picturesque essence. This was during a time where many were unable to travel and leave their homes. Social media was an escape for many, and became our only perception of the outside world. ‘Abbey Road’ is sentimental to him as it is a location which Rishi has traveled to and references his accuracy through the photos taken by himself. However, no matter what, Toronto stands as his favourite location due to the proximity to bodies of water and the endless amounts of things to do. 

Kiyungi Fundikira 

While Toronto can often look gray and concrete, Kiyungi Fundikira has never thought of it that way. His encapsulation of Toronto includes colour and life; this is why his favourite season is fall. Fundikira gravitates towards this season due to its texture, colour and variety. His artwork is based around the colour you find in the city, even at night. He plans on exploring black and white mediums such as: sketches with pens, Inks and pencils, later on in his art journey, however, for now he is quite content with searching for colour.

Toronto is a special place for Fundikira as it includes so many cultures, forms of architecture and settings. The endless opportunities you receive from living in a city like Toronto is astounding, the contemporary and vintage stores and ways of life truly make it the most cosmopolitan cities he has ever traveled to. 

Through each artist, a different perspective of life shines through. The contrast between positive and negative, what is worth capturing and not, or what is inspirational or unmoving differs between all eight artists. This drives sentiment, it drives passion, and it shapes who each person is. Perhaps there are some similarities and common points of interest, however the way each piece is portrayed has something no one else can add, more. The painting is exactly how it looks by the person who decided to make it look that way. One can have perspective and feelings based on the art. But no one can change the initial form.