October 27, 2016
Today, StreetARToronto (StART) unveiled street art celebrating women on 40 pillars along the north and south sides of the underpass on Wilson Avenue between Wilson Heights Boulevard and Transit Road, near the TTC's Wilson subway station.
"The forty pillars at Wilson subway station stand in one of the largest and most diverse neighbourhoods in Toronto, bridging important arteries that connect multicultural communities and multi-layered histories of the surrounding area," said Councillor Maria Augimeri (Ward 9, York Centre). "The artist has beautifully and powerfully spun a story across their surface that pays homage to women as the weavers of society and highlights so many identities present in the area. This is an important artwork and we couldn't be more pleased with the result."
The mural was conceived and created by Canadian-Chilean visual artist Shalak Attack, whose distinctive and signature use of colour are emblematic of her unique style of psychedelic magical realism. A co-founder and co-director of the international art collectives “Essencia”, the “Bruxas” and the “Clandestinos”, her acclaimed series of evocative "Animal Spirits" and vibrant human portraits are known around the world.
On all four extremities where the pillars at Wilson subway station begin, the artist has painted four strong and beautiful feminine gatekeepers who hold up the bridges above them, acting as mythical-like guardians protecting those who pass by. The mural goes on to celebrate the “Weaver” as a timeless and powerful creator through a vibrant and fantastical array of symbolic imagery. She was assisted in the creation of this mural by her husband and artistic collaborator, Bruno Smoky.
StART, launched in 2012, is a program of Transportation Services' public realm section. It is an innovative, public-private partnership designed to develop, support, promote and increase awareness of street art and its ability to beautify the city's visual landscape and decrease graffiti vandalism. StART’s Underpass Program (StART UP) provides opportunities for artists to create works of art that contribute to the program mandate, make walking, cycling or driving through Toronto's underpasses more appealing and strengthen the sense of place, inclusion and belonging within communities. Follow StART on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/StART_Toronto, on Instagram as start_streetartoronto or on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/StreetARToronto.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit
http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
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Media contact: Steve Johnston, Strategic Communications, 416-392-4391, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
