TAP Centre for Creativity ~ 203 Dundas Street, London, ONHours: Tuesday to Saturday 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm

Tel: 519-642-2767 • www.tapcreativity.org

FREE Admission!

Opening Reception: Friday, January 24, 2020 at 7:00 pm

Special Performance by The Alfredo Caxaj Latin Jazz Ensemble - 7:30 pm

With refreshments & Latin American appetizers

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January 21 - February 1, 2020

COLORES DE LATINOAMÉRICA ’20Fourteenth Annual Visual Art Exhibition

www.sunfest.on.cawww.sunfest.on.ca

Andrea Vela Alarcón • Peru

Andrea Vela Alarcón es una artista y

educadora comunitaria nacida en el pueblo de

Iquitos en la Amazonía Peruana y radicada en

Toronto. Su trabajo se centra en la narración

historias inspiradas en la cultura amazónica

desde el género Naïf, cuya estética se

basa en el folclor desde la de ingenuidad y

espontaneidad. Sus temáticas provienen de

la cultura popular y exploran vínculos entre la

naturaleza, lo femenino y lo oculto. A partir de

estos, crea su propia mitología conectándose

con su tierra natal la cual dejó a los 15 años.

Actualmente con el proyecto “Allegra” se

dedica a difundir la cultura Amazónica y

Andina a través de la creación de obras y

piezas de indumentaria.

Contribuir al cambio social es muy importante

para Andrea, ya que utiliza el arte como

una herramienta para educar, despertar y

sanar comunidades sub-representadas en

Canadá y Perú gracias a su experiencia como

comunicadora para el desarrollo social y como

vocera de entidades relacionadas a este fi n.

http://isallegra.com

Andrea Vela Alarcón is a

Toronto-based community

artist and educator, originally

from the little town of Iquitos

in the Peruvian Amazon. As a

self- taught illustrator whose

work centres on storytelling,

Andrea is inspired by Amazonian culture and is

particularly infl uenced by the naïve genre (art

with an enchanted, childlike perspective). Her

main subjects are drawn from folk culture and

explore the links between nature, the feminine

and the occult. Through these approaches,

Andrea creates her own mythology and stays

connected to her homeland, which she left at

age 15. She is currently giving her art and ideas

the opportunity to come to life through “The

Allegra Project”; a lifestyle brand focused on

spreading the Amazonian and Andean cultures

through art and wearables.

Contributing to social change is very important

in Andrea’s practice. With a background in

Communication for Social Development,

and as an outreach strategist for many

organizations, Andrea employs art as a tool to

educate, agitate and heal underrepresented

communities in Canada and Peru.

Ana Arias (también conocida como Ansoara) es una artista multidisciplinaria Venezolana-Canadiense radicada en Montreal, con un BA en fi losofía de la Universidad Concordia. En su practica explora diferentes técnicas desde pintura hasta collages de fotos digitales y accesorios hechos con materiales recuperados. El trabajo de Ansoara se inspira en sus experiencias vividas como mujer, en los paisajes tropicales de su infancia y en la herencia de familiares, amigos y extraños.

Al explorar constantemente las conexiones entre el yo físico, la identidad y el mundo exterior, Ana está fascinada por la fi sicalidad de los cuerpos, creando formas humanas y no humanas, mientras investiga el mundo de las plantas; es una ávida trepadora de árboles y exploradora de lugares escondidos. Ansoara explica: “Mirando entre las grietas, me atraen las irregularidades y complejidades de las cosas físicas. Entrelazo aspectos de estos materiales para crear nuevas escenas imaginarias que fl uctúan entre la diversión y el realismo”.

https://www.ansoara.com

Ana Arias (aka Ansoara) is a Montreal multidisciplinary artist with a background rooted in painting, photography and textiles. She is Venezuelan-Canadian and has a B.A. in philosophy

from Concordia University. Her work ranges from a realist style of painting to digital photo collages to wearable accessories made from reclaimed materials. The imagery in Ansoara’s art is informed by her lived experience as a woman, the tropical landscapes of her childhood and the heritage of family, friends and strangers.

Constantly exploring the connections between the physical self, identity and the outer world, Ana is fascinated by the physicality of human bodies, guided by the mingling of human and non-human forms as well as the world of plants. She is also an avid tree climber and explorer of hidden places.

Ansoara elaborates: “Looking between the cracks, I am drawn to the irregularities and complexities of physical things. I intertwine aspects of these gathered materials to create new imagined scenes that fl uctuate between playfulness and realism.”

Ana Arias, aka Ansoara • Venezuela

Enrique Bravo is a master of many mediums: painting, illustration, portraying, caricatures, cartoons, and comics. His sharp critiques of the ruling regime in Venezuela brought him to

Canada in 2018 where the 56-year old graphic artist and former architect joined his two brothers in Barrie, Ontario.

Enrique’s passion for art began at fi ve years old, when “all (he) had was a can with water, some brushes and several jars of paint”. Since 1986, he has explored many different facets of his practice, ranging from architectural visualizations for fi rms in Venezuela and the Caribbean to illustrations for books and magazines to painted murals and portraits. Enrique says, “As a painter, my quest begins with the human fi gure, (both) as an individual, and as part of a mass, a crowd in movement.” The common factor in his work is manual graphic expression, such as pencil, brush, crayon, ink, acrylic or watercolor.

Past honors include the winning poster for the Caribbean Series held in Maracaibo, Venezuela (1985) and the Caricature Award of the (Venezuelan) National (2000 & 2011).

Enrique Bravo • Venezuela

Enrique Bravo es un maestro de muchos medios: pintura, ilustración, retrato, caricatura y el cómic. Sus críticas al régimen actual en Venezuela lo llevaron a Canadá en 2018, donde el artista gráfi co y ex arquitecto de 56 años se unió a sus dos hermanos en Barrie, Ontario.

La pasión de Enrique por el arte comenzó a los cinco años, cuando “todo lo que tenía era una lata con agua, algunos pinceles y varios frascos de pintura”. Desde 1986, ha explorado muchas facetas diferentes de su práctica, desde visualizaciones arquitectónicas para fi rmas en Venezuela y el Caribe, hasta ilustraciones para libros y revistas, murales y retratos. Enrique dice: “Como pintor, mi búsqueda comienza con la fi gura humana, como individuo y como parte de una masa, exploro una multitud en movimiento”. El factor común en su trabajo es la expresión gráfi ca manual, como el lápiz , pincel, crayón, tinta, acrílico o acuarela.

Entre los muchos reconocimientos que ha recibido se encuentra el Póster ganador de la Serie del Caribe celebrada en Maracaibo, Venezuela (1985) y el Premio Caricatura del Nacional (Venezolano) (2000 y 2011).

https://enrique-bravo.format.com

Jacquie Comrie • Panama

Originaria de Panamá y ahora radicada en Toronto, la artista multidisciplinaria y vocera para la salud mental, Jacquie Comrie celebra el color como lenguaje universal de las emociones. A través de la luz y la energía, utiliza el color como una herramienta poderosa con la cual repara y sana, no solo espacios urbanos sino también nuestras mentes.

Las vibrantes obras de Jacquie, han transformado espacios en México, Panamá, España y Canadá, creando desde murales multicolores en edifi cios y autobuses, hasta estructuras y lienzos a gran escala. La primavera pasada, la compañía Glossier encargo a Jacquie que vistiera las paredes exteriores de su reconocida tienda en Miami, donde creó un arco iris de fl ores, con toques de rosa, inspirados en la historia cultural y artística de la ciudad. Para el proyecto “A Streetcar Named Toronto” en otoño pasado, Comrie reemplazó las conocidas lineas rojas y blancas del tranvía n. ° 4178 con un deslumbrante caleidoscopio de colores, creando así “una obra de arte conmovedora diseñada para difundir el color y positivismo por toda la ciudad.”

https://www.jacquiecomrie.com

Originally from Panama and now based in Toronto, multidisciplinary artist and mental health advocate Jacquie Comrie celebrates colour as the universal language of emotions.

Through light and energy, her use of colour is a tool powerful enough to repair not only urban spaces but also our minds.

Jacquie’s vibrant works, which have transformed Mexico, Panama, Spain and Canada one wall at a time, range from multi-hued murals on buildings and buses to large scale structures and canvases. Last spring, when cult beauty retailer Glossier opened a new Art Deco-style pop-up store in Miami, it recruited Jacquie to dress the outside walls in a rainbow of fl owers, with touches of pink, inspired both by the cultural and artistic history of Florida’s most famous city and by the signature of the label. For last fall’s “A Streetcar Named Toronto” project, Comrie replaced retiring Car No. 4178’s familiar red-and-white livery with a dazzling kaleidoscope of colours, thus creating “a moving work of art (designed to) spread colour and positivity throughout the whole city.”

César Morriss • Peru

César Morris es un innovador artista peruano nacido en Lima (1979), con estudios en Canadá y una fascinante carrera internacional. Su trabajo se caracteriza por su dominio del color y el uso de formatos y composiciones no convencionales. Su obra está inspirada en la sensualidad femenina, así como en las diversas culturas antiguas de América Latina.

César dice: “Mi obra es una narración visual que busca revelar lo invisible en lo visible, transmitiendo un mensaje espiritual a través de un simbolismo profundo... que captura lo impalpable, tomando la esencia de lo emocional y la experiencia física “.

Morriss ha expuesto en varios países incluidos Perú, Finlandia, Brasil, Francia, España, Suiza, Chile, Canadá y Estados Unidos. Después de tomar un descanso para actividades personales y académicas, el artista visual de Gatineau, Quebec, regresó al estudio para crear nuevas obras de pintura abstracta: “El despertar de la laguna roja” y “La noche púrpura de invierno”, ambas realizadas con una técnica mixta sobre lienzo.

https://cesarmorriss.artstation.com

César Morriss is an innovative Peruvian artist (born 1979 in Lima) with studies in Canada and a fascinating international career. His work is characterized by his mastery

of color and the use of unconventional formats and compositions. César’s painting is highly inspired by female sensuality as well as by the various ancient cultures of Latin America.

César says, “My artwork is a visual narrative that often seeks to reveal the invisible in the visible, always transmitting a message in a spiritual way and through a deep symbolism…(I try to) capture the impalpable, taking the essence of emotional and physical experience.”

Morriss has exhibited in countries around the world, including Peru, Finland, Brazil, France, Spain, Canada and the United States. Additionally, he has sold his paintings in Switzerland and Chile. The Gatineau, Quebec visual artist recently returned to the studio to create two new abstract paintings on canvas: “The awakeness of the red lagoon” and “Winter’s purple night.”

Michelle Peraza • Costa Rica/Cuba

Michelle Peraza, radicada en Toronto, es una artista latinoamericana de segunda generación con ascendencia costarricense y cubana. Michelle dice: “Mis raíces latinas tienen un impacto directo en mi trabajo actual y mi camino a seguir”. Ella regresa a Colores con sus retratos a gran escala de hombres cercanos a ella, que por su etnia y estatus socioeconómico han sido excluidos del arte de la representación. Al utilizar láminas de aluminio como sustrato, se distancia del lienzo tradicional comúnmente utilizado en retratos para la clase alta. Sus pinturas intensamente realistas son metódicas, matemáticas y pensadas, con una sólida base lineal. Su objetivo es capturar el espíritu, la integridad y la verdad de los ejemplares masculinos que la rodean y sus relaciones desde tendencias sociales dominantes como lo es el patriarcado.

Michelle tiene una licenciatura en Bellas Artes en Dibujo y Pintura de la Universidad OCAD y una licenciatura en Estudios Clásicos y Religiones Mundiales de la Universidad Western. En 2019 recibió el Ontario Arts Council: Grant Assistance para su exposición individual Patria Potestas en Northbound Gallery en North York en 2018.

https://www.michelleperaza.com

A second-generation Latin American artist of Costa Rican & Cuban descent, Toronto’s Michelle Peraza says, “My Latino roots directly impact my current work and my path going

forward”. Michelle returns to Colores with her large-scale portraits of men who are close to her, but whose ethnicity and socioeconomic status often have excluded them from representation. By making aluminum sheeting her substrate of choice, Peraza distances herself from the traditional stretched canvas and linen favored by upper class portraiture. Her highly realistic interpretations of the human face are very methodical, mathematical and thought-out, with a strong linear foundation. She aims to capture the spirit, integrity and truth of her male sitters and to examine their relationships to dominant social constructs like the patriarchy.

Michelle holds a BFA in Drawing & Painting from OCAD University and a degree in Classical Studies and World Religions from Western University. In 2019 she received an OAC Exhibition Assistance Grant for her solo show Patria Potestas.

Direct from Barcelona, Spain - Flamenco Jazz Fusion Ensemble

LOS AURORADancer Pol Jimenez joins flamenco

singer Pere Martínez, pianist Max

Villavecchia, bassist Javi Garrabella

and drummer Juan Carles Marí in this

unique exploration of Spanish composer

Manuel de Falla's most popular songs.

Los Aurora create an emotionally intense

and visually compelling experience.

Friday, January 31, 2020

Aeolian Hall 795 reet, Dundas St , London

Doors at 7:00 pm ~ Concert at 8:00 pm

Tickets available online at sunfest.on.ca or aeolianhall.ca

World Music Jazz Series 1‘ 9 - ‘20&

Claudia Arana is an Independent Curator, Art

Administrator and Cultural Connector who has installed

her practice in the construction of artistic platforms that

promote inclusion and diversity from different cultural

perspectives. In Canada, she has established a career

aimed at promoting a socially and politically viable

artistic spectrum, where artists from different cultures

are adequately represented and supported by both

governmental institutions and non-profi t organizations.

She studied Art Theory and Critical Thinking at the

School of Visual Arts and Advanced Critique at the

International Centre of Photography, both in New York.

Currently she is the Gallery Administrator at Sur Gallery,

Toronto’s fi rst gallery space dedicated to promote

contemporary Latin American artistic practices.

Independent Curator supports the creation and

development of new, existing and site-specifi c art

exhibitions in Canada and across the globe by providing

curatorial framework, development, and research, project

management, installation assistance, exhibition design,

insurance advice, documentation, and commissioned

critical essays to accompany projects and exhibitions.