The Learning Zone

STORYING

APRIL 15 – JUNE 1, 2020

View the online exhibition here

Over the winter semester 2020, OCAD U faculty Penelope Smart and Pam Patterson and 25 students of CROS 2002 Contemporary Issues: Art Today met on Thursday afternoons to explore the concept of identity — the solid, evaporating, congealing, fractured, token, sincere question of Who am I? within contemporary art practices. Our inquiry took on many forms: personal writings and responses on issues of representation and difference, memory and imagination, and the mediation of the world through technologies. Together, we mapped frameworks of the self through readings, peer discussions. presentations and gallery visits, working toward a fluid, unscripted, collective expression of our findings: a group exhibition of individual works that speak to identity as a myriad of stories we tell ourselves (or are told) about who we are.

“Storying”-as-exhibit was set to open in the Learning Zone on April 2nd, 2020. As Covid-19 became a reality for the OCADU community and across the globe, we pivoted to OCAD U’s digital platform. It is exciting and meaningful for us to share these works — as self-expression in the here and now — with online audiences during this extraordinary time. It has never been more important to stay connected and curious about other people. How do our personal experiences, histories, creative talents, and daily hopes and fears work to both keep us apart and bring us closer?

This website serves as an online exhibition and creative portfolio of the course. Please explore the multidisciplinary works — spanning painting, drawing, textile, sculpture, animation, music, AI tech and video — of students by clicking the names in the menu on the left. You can also read short artist statements including poems, lyrics and creative texts, which accompany and illuminate each work.

Thank you for visiting.
— Penelope Smart, curator and tutorial leader

Exhibition Statement: “Storying” is an exhibition by students in CROS 2002 Contemporary Issues: Art Today. Individual works spanning a variety of media query identity as a creative act — a thing to be made, re-made, told, written, erased, re-written, documented and performed. Works consider how questions of authorship and authority shape the stories we tell about who we are.

Exhibiting Artists: Anam Feerasta, Bernobayobaylee/ Lee Reid, Carla Sierra Suarez, Carmen Mahave, Chris Mullrooney, Emily Flynn, Esther Liang, Fabina Germain, Fuyu Liu, Jerry Zhou, Kaia Fortis Scott, Lou Davis, Lucas Kim, Madison Burke, Philberta Mak, Raf Dan McEwan, Tony Leung, Violet Liepins, Zhenhao Sun

Professor: Pam Patterson
Project curator: Penelope Smart, Tutorial Leader
Assistant curator: Temple Marucci-Campbell
Web design: Marta Chudolinska

A special thank you to Marta Chudolinska, of the OCADU Learning Zone, for her positivity, helpfulness and technical and administrative knowledge and support.

On Tuesday March 10th we hosted the Geometry and Design Workshop led by the very talented Nabeela Malik. Nabeela, last joined us in the Learning Zone in 2017 when she led a hands-on Arabic Calligraphy Workshop .

Students at work from the Arabic Calligraphy Workshop

At this March 10th workshop, Nabeela explored geometry in art and design following 2D geometry based from Islamic geometric art.

This workshop was designed for students to learn 2D geometry based from Islamic geometric art. Students learned  artistic and mathematical aspects of geometry, and how geometry can be implemented in art and design. Nabeela demonstrated methods and techniques using two simple tools: a compass to draw circles and a ruler to make lines. Starting with a circle as the starting point for precisely creating other shapes with multiple sides. It was a fun workshop exploring building and overlaying of shapes to create complex geometric compositions.

Thank you Nabeela, for leading this amazing workshop and teaching new and creative skills to compliment any students’ practice!

Visit www.nmcustomart.com to check out Nabeela’s portfolio!

Student-Led workshops are funded by the Ontario Post-Secondary Access and Inclusion Program (OPAIP) administered by the Writing & Learning Centre. These workshops are free, including materials, and are open to all current students.