(UTSC x HLA) i-FEED Exhibition Starts Here
"i-FEED Poster" —— Painting Poster by Shiyun Sun and Xi Yuan
I-FEED exhibition is a community project that speaks to individual experiences coping through the pandemic. Six students from the University of Toronto City Studies program took part in the planning, organizing and curating this online exhibition. From stay at home orders, to physical distancing to wearing masks, each of us cope differently during these unprecedented times. We are social creatures by design and each one of us find ways to occupy the time often finding inspiration from the mundane to seeking opportunities to foster new interests.
"Try New Things" —— Photograph by During the Pandemic by Xi Yuan.
"Try New Things" —— Photograph by During the Pandemic by Xi Yuan.
XI YUAN Artist Statement
"At the beginning of the pandemic, I felt really depressed because I stayed at home all the time, thus I decided to try something that I never tried before. I registered for the flying lessons. After two tutorials, I started to fly with my coach together. The photograph was taken in Downtown Toronto when I was flying at high altitude.”
"Trans-Canada Trip"—— Photograph by During the Pandemic by Xi Yuan.
"Trans-Canada Trip" —— Photograph by During the Pandemic by Xi Yuan.
XI YUAN Artist Statement
"As we know, pandemic have a negative impact on our mental health. Everyone communicate through social media instead of face to face. However, pandemic also brought a good side to my life, it gave me chance and enough time to do what I always wanted to do. During the pandemic, my boyfriend and I experience a 10 days trans-Canada trip last summer. We departed from Toronto, passed by Sault Ste. Marie, Red Rock, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Banff National Park and Kelowna, and ended in Vancouver. For this trip, we brought enough food and cooking tools so we could cook ourselves. Self check-in Airbnb also provided us with a safe place to take rest. Each city or town has its own unique view. We took many photographs on the way and I have chosen some incredible photographs for this exhibition. This photo was taken in Surphyr Mountain, Banff."
“The Sunset” —— Photograph by Shiyun Sun
SHIYUN SUN Artist Statement
“I created this piece because I think the sunset symbolizes the completion of a day's work and shows the passage of time. The theme of the exhibition is finding the energy every day. The sunset I think is close to the theme. Because the sun sets everyday, you spend time looking at how wonderful it is. It can remove any distraction and exhaustion from the things you face during the day, giving you the energy for the upcoming new day. It is time to end the day and take a break.”
"Quiet City" —— Photograph by Shuo Huang
"Quiet City" —— Photograph by Shuo Huang
"Quiet City" —— Photograph by Shuo Huang
SHUO HUANG Artist Statement
"Covid-19 is sweeping the Toronto area, and the government has ordered malls to close. I took the photo at Eaton Centre, the most frequently-visited shopping mall in downtown Toronto. The mall was cold and quiet. The second is a tavern, which is not open because of the outbreak. The third illustrates passers-by wearing their masks. while travelling the streets of Toronto."
“Heart of the Road”—— Photograph by Shiyun Sun
SHIYUN SUN Artist Statement
"I've never seen any pattern on the road. I believe when people crossing the streets, they may feel the energy that the city created. The color and the heart shape represents positive energy."
"Rainbow" —— Photograph by Shiyun Sun
SHIYUN SUN Artist Statement
"I suddenly found the sky has a rainbow after the rain. Rainbows are a symbol of hope and energy in many cultures. Many people said that sunshine always comes after the storm. When the rainbow appear, it might have some good things happen."
"The Scenery Along the Way " in Inner Mongolia —— Photograph by Xianghang Fu
“The Scenery Along the Way” in Inner Mongolia —— Photograph by Xianghang Fu
“The Scenery Along the Way” in Inner Mongolia —— Photograph by Xianghang Fu
XIANGHANG FU Artist Statement
"I took these pictures from a place in China called Inner Mongolia. I thought I should take these pictures to record the great mountains and rivers of my country. During the pandemic, people can't travel, so they can take a special trip from these photos."
"Find Arts in Daily Life"—— Oil Painting by Lele Gao
“Find Arts in Daily Life” —— Drawing by Lele Gao
LELE GAO Artist Statement
"I am an university student majoring in City Study and Economy, who also have a lot of interests in arts, like music, painting, photography and so on. I believe there are wonderful things happening everywhere and we just need to find them with our eyes."
"Because this kind of painting style came up by old Chinese people and there were too many paintings accompanied with poems which the artists wanted to express their ideas and feelings. Therefore, I believe in paintings have specific spirits to influence others. "
“Hills on Night” —— Chinese traditional calligraphy by Qiu Jin
“Early ShangShan Script” —— Chinese traditional calligraphy by Qiu Jin
WEI JIN Artist Statement
"Qiu is my little sister who is 17 years old studying Chinese traditional arts now. I studied Chinese Art for 6 years, and now I want to give chance to the younger ones to show their artworks worldwide.
This platform encourages youth to make their art works freely and ultimately improve health and life by living more colorfully."