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Online program
  • May 27, 2021 - 6 – 7:30 pm

Newcomer Week: Gods Among Us Artist Talk + Conversation

Presented in collaboration with Neighbourhood Arts Network

Artist talk & slide presentation by Esmond Lee about his ongoing project 'Gods Among Us', followed by a conversation with writer Sabra Ismath

Esmond Lee’s Gods Among Us presents a photographic history of Scarborough's diverse faith communities through representation of provisional architectural homes for places of worship. Often operating under the vernacular of industrial plazas and ubiquitous strip malls, these buildings provide important spaces for newcomers to build spiritual, social, and economic connections. Join Lee for an artist talk and slide presentation about this ongoing project, sharing more about his process and research, and providing a preview of an upcoming public installation of Gods Among Us at Malvern Town Centre. This talk will be followed by a conversation with Scarborough-based writer Sabra Ismath that will further explore ideas of community and belonging.

This event is hosted on Zoom and will have ASL interpretation and closed captioning.

About the Artists:

Esmond Lee 李春錦 is an artist, photographer, and practicing architect based in Scarborough. Lee explores long-term, intergenerational experiences of migration in peripheral, in-between spaces. He holds a Master of Architecture and draws from this background to examine identity, belonging, and nuanced cultural and political borders in the built environment. Lee’s work includes a continuous 250-foot long vinyl mesh installation for Nuit Blanche Scarborough 2019, developed during his time in the Doris McCarthy Artist-in-Residence program. Upcoming work includes a community photobook for the Toronto Public Library’s Artist-in-Residence program. His work on Toronto’s suburbs received recognition from the Burtynsky Grant and is part of CAMH’s permanent collection.

Sabra Ismath is a writer and journalist based in Toronto. Her work appears in The Local, MobileSyrup, The Pigeon and many more various publications.

This event is part of Newcomer Week, a week long of free online activations presented by Toronto Arts Foundation's Neighbourhood Arts Network. Learn more about the festivities by visiting https://neighbourhoodartsnetwork.org/programs.