EMERGING ARTISTS UNMASKED

Emerging Artists Unmasked explores and reflects on how this safety protocol has transformed Canadian culture and personal styles rendering mask wearing as a form of self-expression that articulates personal stories, cultural identities, and which unites us in the wake of the global health crisis.

This project is a collaboration between contemporary Canadian artist Don Kwan, currently featured in the Gallery’s exhibition Facing It, and senior art students at John Diefenbaker Secondary School. Through a series of virtual sessions which included an artist talk and a global pandemic face mask workshop led by Kwan, students were invited to create their own face masks for display at the Gallery.

Emerging Artists Unmasked presents over 20 compelling individual face mask creations that employ non-traditional materials, inspired by Don Kwan’s artwork as well the students’ lived experiences within the COVID-19 pandemic. The project highlights our common desire for individual identity, while also alluding to the fact that we are all in this together.

Emerging Artists Unmasked will be on display in the Tom Thomson Art Gallery’s Atrium from December 9, 2021 – January 31, 2022.