Downtown Yonge Artwalk

Explore

Paisajes de Nosotros (Landscapes of Us)

  • 350 Victoria St

About the artwork

This mural by artists Niap (Nancy Saunders) and Olinda Reshinjabe Silvano was commissioned by Toronto Metropolitan University as part of Arctic/Amazon: Networks of Global Indigeneity, an expansive curatorial program led by the Wapatah Centre for Indigenous Visual Knowledge at OCAD University. Curated by Wapatah founder Gerald McMaster, Arctic/Amazon brought together artists from both regions to explore relations to global Indigeneity, nature, and places of cultural exchange. For Paisajes de Nosotros, the collaborating artists drew upon their individual experience to highlight profound connections to their territories and culture. The colour scheme of the mural embodies the ice, northern lights, Inuit cosmologies and symbolism of the North; while the bold graphics of ancient kené designs symbolize woven visualizations of plant songs that serve as a musical score for Shipibo-Konibo peoples of the Amazon.

About the artist

Nancy Saunders (also known by her art name, Niap) is an Inuk multidisciplinary artist from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. Based primarily in Montreal, she divides her time between that metropolis and her home community, a place that continues to profoundly influence her work. Her practice encompasses drawing, painting, sculpture and performance. Her approach merges traditional Inuit art with modern elements, addressing themes associated with this ancestral heritage through the artistic strategies of contemporary art.

Olinda Reshinjabe Silvano is an Indigenous Shipibo-Konibo artist from Peru, utilizing traditional art of kené in her multidisciplinary creative practice as a muralist, craftsperson, singer, and changemaker. She grew up in the native community of Paohyan on the banks of the Ucayali River. She is a revered cultural leader of the Shipibo-Konibo people, one of the most numerous indigenous peoples of the Peruvian Amazon.

Fun facts

  • Watch a short documentary about the piece on YouTube for some fascinating details and footage of the collaboration to create this mural: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVQc1k3Fdcw&t=10s

Engagement questions

Logo