Kollar Clothing
EMERGING BRAND TAKES SOPHISTICATED STREETWEAR TO THE NEXT LEVEL Story by D’Loraine Miranda Photos provided by Kollar Clothing If you ask David Kollar, Founder and Creative Director of Kollar Clothing, what he aims to bring to the Toronto menswear scene, his answer is simple: sophisticated streetwear. As a newcomer to the scene, Kollar...
Keita Morimoto
THE EYES HAVE IT IN THESE MESMERIZING IMAGES Story by Mariam Magsi Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, Keita Morimoto is an artist currently painting in Toronto. Morimoto’s work is illusionistic with a three dimensional feel. His primary subjects are women, and as you scan his work, the first feature to jump out...
Sara Guindon
FROM THE PIN PALS TO HER OWN SOLO PROJECTS, THIS ILLUSTRATOR MAKES HER MARK Story by Odessa Paloma Parker Sara Guindon’s work may look familiar; the unique personalities she depicts in her illustrations are half of the charm of Pin Pals – the remarkable, retro-esque accessories and art objects found at craft events...
Citizens
AN INTIMATE LOOK AT SOME OF TORONTO’S BEST Story by Nina Cherry Photo courtesy of Natalie Castellino The delightful Natalie Castellino has spent the last year taking portraits of 20 incredible Torontonians: Aleksandar Antonijevic, Edward Burtynsky, Roberta Bondar, Anita Clarke, Schuster Gindin, Debra Goldblatt, Susur Lee, Ahdri Zhina Mandiela, Gail McInnes, Phyllis Novak, Luis Pacheco,...
Mike Parsons
YOU HAVE SEEN HIM CROUCHED ON QUEEN STREET PAINT BRUSH IN HAND.
NOW TORONTO STREET ARTIST MIKE PARSONS IS TAKING THINGS IN DOORS.
Celia Neubauer
MIXED-MEDIA ARTIST CREATES ABSTRACT LANDSCAPES INSPIRED BY FASHION Story by Kate Fane Scouring the pages of Vogue seems an unlikely starting point for painting a landscape, but for mixed-media artist Celia Neubauer, it’s a natural impulse. During an afternoon visit to her spacious studio in the Distillery District’s Case Goods Warehouse, Celia took me through...
Christine Kim
ONE ARTIST’S MANTRA OF KEEP CALM & CUT ON Story by Kate Fane At Toronto’s recent Artist Project (TAP) exhibition, over 200 artists displayed their work in a massive convention hall in Exhibition Place. But despite the frantic environment, one artist definitely stood out. Toronto-based Christine Kim was able to offer a respite from...
Guy Archard
PHOTOGRAPHER FILLS US IN ON WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW Story by Erin Lucuik London-based photographer Guy Archard has built up quite the portfolio since graduating from the London College of Communication in 2007. And while the ideas for his work may come about accidentally, each of his photos radiate a stillness, and a sense of calm...
Laurie Kang
THE ARTIST REVEALS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MEDIUM Story by Kate Fane Laurie Kang is a gatherer. To create her unique compositions, she combines found materials such as product catalogues and scrap paper with her own photography. The end result is a seamless yet surreal object that seems to float between two and three...
Navillus Gallery
AFTER GLOW EXHIBITION RUNS UNTIL MARCH 29TH Story by Laura Chang Navillus Gallery, located in the heart of Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood, exhibits art as a facet of life. “It can energize a space, inspire you, make you think and feel, and enrich your life,” says head curator, Taylor Sullivan. Recently opened in October 2011,...
Janet Macpherson
THE SCULPTOR SHARES HOW PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS Story by Erin Lucuik Photos provided by Janet Macpherson It’s difficult to nail down Janet Macpherson’s ceramic sculptures. They are at once familiar but strange, good-humored but austere, and common but undeniably unique. Perhaps it’s this enigmatic quality that draws people to her work, which is influenced...
Jason Miller
THE DESIGNER TALKS ABOUT NEW PROJECTS & THE IDEAS BEHIND HIS WORK Story by Hannah Rittner Photos provided by Jason Miller Jason Miller’s personality is a mysterious combination of bluntness and sensitivity. This contrast is definitely at work in his furniture design, which embodies a fine balance between grittiness and grace. Miller’s newest project...
Sophie Alda
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE RIDICULOUS BECOMES MUNDANE? Story by Mariam Magsi At times we come across artwork that can be provocative yet pleasing to the eye. Sophie Alda is one such artist working out of East London in the United Kingdom, who paints imaginatively unique pieces that pull the viewer into her mind’s expressions...
Mark Peckmezian
THE EDITOR-AT-HEART TALKS ABOUT HIS CAPTIVATING PHOTOGRAPHY Story by Hannah Rittner Mark Peckmezian’s photography is hauntingly beautiful. Everything from the black and white portraits to his lush and whimsical colour shots encapsulate ecstatic movement and the original intensity of every individual. Through his photography, the viewer experiences the unique way he is mesmerized by...
Adrienne Kammerer
DARK MATTERS TO THIS TORONTO-BASED ARTIST Story by Odessa Paloma Parker For someone who professes to have still not perfected her technique, artist Adrienne Kammerer’s enticing world of dark entities and intriguing figures are truly magnetic in their draw. Kammerer groomed her talent while working at Badlands Vintage; with long pauses between shoppers entering...
Erika Lobko
A SURREAL LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THIS UP-AND-COMING PRODUCER Story by Hali Hamilton Photo provided by Erika Lobko Erika Lobko and I have had a strangely intertwined history. We both began our film degrees at Queen’s University, before Erika wised up and got the hell outta dodge (and relocated to Ryerson). Since then she’s been...
Kalpna Patel
BRINGING BRAVADO TO THE WORLD OF CRAFT Story by Odessa Paloma Parker During my interview with Shopgirl’s owner, Michelle Germain, last fall, she walked me through the store’s space and showed me essentially every line, telling me the backstory of all the pieces they carry. Some items really stood out, including the scores of...
Claire Cimbora
ART FOR THE YOUNG AT HEART Story by Amanda Thomas Claire Cimbora, one of Curvy’s “100 of the world’s best female illustrators”, creates vibrant works of art and jewellery that capture the essence of childhood. Her distinctive pieces illuminate the “innocence, playful curiosity” and “inquisitive charm” of children with her colourful, wide-eyed characters inviting...
Ruby Coast
A CHEEKY PROMISE OF WHAT TO EXPECT AT THEIR SUMMERWORKS SHOW Story by Ally Hall Photo provided by Ruby Coast Ruby Coast bandmates Justice McLellan, Keith Bradford, Corey Marshall and Bryan Chaulk met in the sprawl of suburban Aurora, Ontario, and have been making perfect pop hits ever since. Their show at SummerWorks promises...
Jennifer Castle
A FAMILIAR VOICE IS SOLO AT SUMMERWORKS Story by Emily Whalen Photo provided by Jennifer Castle You might recognize Jennifer Castle’s voice from The Constantines’ “Kensington Heights”, Fucked Up’s “Year of the Pig” and “David Comes to Life”, as well from albums by Ryan Driver, Eric Chenaux, Doug Paisley and Wooly Leaves, but she’s...
Kustaa Saksi
TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE WITH HIS QUIRKY, COLOURFUL WORK Story by Amanda Stancati Kustaa Saksi has been drawing ever since he was a child, and the Amsterdam-based graphic designer/illustrator has shown no signs of slowing down. His clients include Microsoft, The New York Times, Nike, Adobe, and Sony PlayStation, and his...
Steven McKay
TALKING HAMILTON HEROES & HERITAGE CANADA WITH THE SUMMERWORKS PERFORMER Story by Emily Whalen Photo provided by Steven McKay SummerWorks is now upon us and Steven McKay (the drummer from Bruce Peninsula) spoke with Plaid about how he’s spending the season, and what you can expect at his show tonight. You have an amazing...
Taylor David
THE MULTI-TALENTED ARTIST TALKS SUN, SURF & SAND Taylor David is a young, environmentally-aware entrepreneur who still has enough time to perfect a spot-on impersonation of Jack Nicholson. As the founder of twentyonesquares™, he creates striking and effective artwork for a number of clients including CK, Converse, and Adidas. He has created an impressive...
Jen Mann
FREEDOM REIGNS IN MANN’S WILDLY WONDERFUL WORK Story by Odessa Paloma Parker Jen Mann’s ways are wild – hauntingly beautiful humans surrounded by birds, buffalo, wolves and flowers are featured in her striking paintings and illustrations. Plaid caught up with the Toronto-based artist to learn more about her craft. What is your first “artistic”...
David Trubridge
INNOVATION AND ENVIRONMENTALISM GO HAND-IN-HAND FOR THIS NEW ZEALAND-BASED DESIGNER Story by Amanda Stancati Photos provided by David Trubridge Plaid caught up with furniture and lighting designer, David Trubridge, just before he left for Milan Design Week. He enlightened us with his ideas about art, nature, creativity, and innovation. You acquired a degree...
Ambroise Tézenas
NINE QUESTIONS FOR THE PARIS-BASED PHOTOGRAPHER Story by Matthew R. Loney Photos courtesy of Gallerie Paris-Bejing The work of Ambroise Tézenas is simultaneously brooding and otherworldly. Capturing both the desolate stillness and the kinetic energy of the modern city, his images invoke the tension between the human and their constructed environments. Starkly realistic and...
Brad Furman
THE LINCOLN LAWYER DIRECTOR TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST RELEASE Story by Matthew De Filippis With two feature films and three award-winning short films under his belt, director Brad Furman has yet again impressed with his latest feature, The Lincoln Lawyer. Based on Michael Connelly’s legal thriller, the film follows Mickey Haller, a criminal lawyer,...
