When political artist Christine Cousineau accidentally stumbled on a collection of mugshots, she became captivated by their unmediated rawness. A deep dive into the workings of the criminal justice system revealed how biased it was especially towards racialized groups. As an act of political subversion, she started the Outlaws project, painting the portraits of these individuals to restore their humanity and start a conversation on racism. 

 

Joan Seed elevates the postmodern art form of collage to a wickedly defiant level. Scavenging through old print magazines, she dismembers the existing visuals into components and reengineers them into darkly provocative tableaux. Masterly crafted, Joan Seed’s art challenges the viewer to make sense of the present through the confluence of oppositional images from the past. Her visual critiques unearth festering issues of contemporary culture including consumerism, human rights and environmental issues. But do not fear venturing into her world, Joan Seed’s objets trouvés are sweetly candy-coated in a soothing blend of wit and humour.