— THE CREATIVE BRIEF
Create a customized art piece to remember the dynamic city of Toronto by.
I was asked by my friend Niki to help make a print that she can bring with her when she leaves Toronto. She wanted something that would remind her of the many memories she's made in Toronto for the past four years during her undergraduate studies. I had a few brainstorm sessions with Niki to crystallize the meaning behind this art piece and together we decided on what key elements to include, which stories to tell. While I steered the art direction and execution of this piece, Niki's input was essential in making this print uniquely hers. Eventually, a mosaic-style digital painting filled with personal stories was born.
— THE THOUGHT PROCESS
So definitely no cheesy city skyline. Roger that.
From asking Niki to highlight her fondest memories of Toronto, I began to build objects and shapes in my head that would string together seamlessly into one painting. One big challenge was to find the one thing that could tie every scattered pieces of memory together without it being seem forced, or worse, arbitrary. Then, it suddenly dawned on me. Toronto has its iconic Toronto sign in front of City Hall. Every tourist knows it and inevitably has a photo of or selfie with it. So yes, instead of a cheesy skyline, I opted for an even more cheesy symbol. However, I managed to turn it into a tasteful and subtle nod to Toronto instead. It was the perfect solution, and from that point, the piece unfolded beautifully like a puzzle on the verge of solving itself.
— THE SOLUTION
Deliberate lines. Collaborative creativity. Celebrating a city using a cliché with a transformative twist.
With black and white lines and shapes, detailed textures and a combination of typography and illustration, I was able to create this cohesive illustration with a story hidden in every inch of the painting. Some are obvious, some more obscure that perhaps only Niki can appreciate.
— THE FINAL PRINT
