Black And Free

• Lillian Allen 
• Sydné Barnes-Wright 
• Ken Daley
• A. Decker
• Beck Deresse
  
• Damola Disu 
• Aljumaine Gayle 

• Janine Ilya
• Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae
• Raechele Lovell
• Miss Coco Murray
• Simone Patricia
• Àbíkẹ́ The Artist

Lillian Allen

A leading Canadian poet and an international exponent of dub poetry, Lillian Allen was acclaimed a foremother of Canadian poetry by the League of Canadian Poets. She is a two-time Canadian Juno award winner for her albums of dub poetry, Revolutionary Tea Party and Conditions Critical. She is an arts activist and a cultural strategist who initiated and developed several key equity impacting arts programs. A mentor to the mentors and Godmother of Everything, Lillian is the recipient of many awards and citations including The Toronto Cultural Champions Award, The Margo Bindhardt Award for significantly impacting the arts in Toronto through both creative work and activism, the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations, and an Honourary Doctorate from Wilfrid Laurier University for her contribution and impact on Canadian Letters.

Sydné Barnes-Wright 

Born in Jamaica and raised in Ontario, Canada, my immigrant background has deeply influenced both my life and artistic pursuits. Formally trained in garment design, furniture design, and textile/fibre arts, I embrace a boundary-breaking approach to creativity. Beyond my studies, I immerse myself in diverse mediums such as storytelling through photography and drawing. This interdisciplinary journey allows me to infuse a unique perspective into my work, seamlessly blending techniques and concepts from various disciplines to craft compelling and meaningful designs.

I have a Bachelors in Design from OCAD University. Majoring in Textiles and Material Arts my education provides a robust foundation in design principles and techniques, but it's my passion for exploring the diasporic experience that propels my design practice forward. In my creations, I seek to open doors to new realms of travel and ideation, aspiring to develop a design practice that dives into and elevates the diasporic narrative. I firmly believe that design holds the power to connect people, weave together cultures, and ignite change. I am dedicated to leveraging my creativity to leave an impact and a distinctive perspective of the world.

Ken Daley

Ken Daley is an award-winning artist/illustrator who is known for his use of bold colours and authentic details to depict Black Life, in all its iterations. He works in various media such as oils, acrylics, and digital.

“My passion lies with reflecting my Afro-Caribbean heritage within my art, as well as illustrating for children’s books. I believe that diverse stories are essential to creating a more just, and equitable world, and this is something I am deeply committed to manifesting through his art.”

Ken was born in Cambridge, Ontario to parents who emigrated from Dominica, West Indies. He has exhibited his artwork in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean, and his work can be found in numerous private and public collections. Ken has illustrated eight children’s books, and currently working on five more titles. He currently lives in Tillsonburg, Ontario.

A. Decker 

A. Decker, a queer Black female artist, draws inspiration from a life journey that spans various Ontario cities—Toronto, Brampton, Oshawa,Guelph and Kitchener. Her resilience shines through a challenging past as a survivor of intimate partner violence. Art has always been her anchor, especially during the tranquility of the COVID pandemic, reigniting her creative spirit. Today, she intertwines art with mental health advocacy, aiming to provoke conversations and raise awareness through her powerful creations. As a volunteer on the board of the Preston Community Center and a founding sister of Art from the Heart Processing, she extends her passion for art into community-building initiatives, including hosting paint nights and collaborative exhibitions.

Beck Deresse

Beck Deresse is a Black, queer illustrator and designer of Ethiopian descent. Their work approaches multiple intersecting identities through the use of colour, narrative, and symbolism. After graduating from Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelors of Illustration in 2022, Beck began freelancing for a myriad of editorial clients. Such clients include The Globe and Mail, The Poetry Foundation, Eater, and The Walrus. Beck’s work often reckons with portraying Black people with dignity, while not shying away from the harsh effects of systemic anti-Black racism. Their goal with their work is to create art that makes others feel seen and respected.

Damola Disu

Lagos, Nigeria born Damola Disu Àlàkijà is an emerging Toronto artist. Using oil paints and Pan-African colors, Disu combines an eclectic mix of traditional Afrocentric art and modernism to inspire his emotive work. Through his passion for contemporary architecture and vintage, West-African traditional concepts, Disu has created a style which has captivated the senses – amélange of visionary conceptualism and mythology with just a touch of mystery. He immersed himself in the arts since childhood, and continued to develop skills in various art mediums, stimulating his passion to create and express himself. Disu studied under Adeolu Lasisi in southwestern Nigeria, Contemporary Realist Painter Roberto Rosenman in Toronto and recently completed a moulding & sculpting program at OCAD. As Disu continues to evolve, his paintings have transformed from vibrant tonal contrasts to emotive, muted forms of expression – a mix of soft, shadowy colors and the exquisite beauty in dark emotions.

Aljumaine Gayle

Aljumaine is a dynamic creative leader in Toronto. Their expertise blends design, user experience, and engineering to lead teams that craft groundbreaking experiences.

Description of work: The vision of this experimental film is to weave a narrative that highlights the deep cultural significance for the Black diaspora to maintain a regular connection with nature. It emphasizes the pivotal role that Black individuals play in safeguarding our environment from the ravages of the Anthropocene. Through this project, we explore and celebrate the vital bond between Black communities and the natural world, showcasing their enduring commitment to environmental preservation.

Janine Ilya

Janine Ilya (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary Canadian-Rwandan visual artist, based in Toronto. Her practice centers around capturing the subtleties of intimate moments, from the perspective of the Black mind. She looks at how the concepts of intimacy and vulnerability – in relation to others and oneself – contribute to the process of identity formation. Drawing from her memory, observations and communities, Ilya creates colourful contrasting imagery, which speaks to the chaos and beauty of personal and collective growth. Allowing for the materials to guide her, she intentionally uses multiple mediums such as painting, textiles, and recycled objects to imitate the process of transformation, by giving them new meaning.

Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae 

Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae is a Dorothy Killam Fellow, Canada Research Chair, Royal Society of Canada College Member, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Waterloo, and a multi-disciplinary artist. She has authored the books Beyoncé and Beyond: 2013-2016 (Routledge UK, 2023) and Performing Female Blackness (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2023); was Co-Editor of Theatre Research In Canada/Recherches théâtrales au Canada (2021-2024); and inaugural Subject Editor of Black Theatre and Performance for the Routledge Performance Archive (2019-2022). Keleta-Mae has performed in Canada, France, Jamaica, Nigeria, and South Africa. Her short videos are Gizzada, Digital Dust, Her Flowers and Black Cake; her music albums are Fire Woman, Bloom, and Free Dome: South Africa; and her plays are No Knowledge College and stuck. She has also commentated for media outlets including the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, Business News Network, CTV, The Canadian Press, The National Post, The Fader, Today’s Parent, and the British Broadcast Corporation.

Raechele Lovell

As a choreographer, performing artists, director, educator, coach and musician, Raechele Lovell is a multifaceted and multidimensional creator. Her work explores storytelling and reflections on bi-racial identity and experiences. Growing up as a bi-racial woman in Kitchener, Ontario, Raechele faced various profound complexities both in her internal and external world. She has channelled her plight into art through dance and cultural exploration.

Miss Coco Murray

Collette "Coco" Murray is a multi-award-winning artist-scholar, cultural arts programmer, and dance educator. With 20 years in the Canadian arts sector, she specializes in Afro-diasporic dance forms from the West African region, Caribbean Folk, and carnival arts. Murray studied with master teachers from West Africa, the Caribbean, and the USA and performed with several Toronto-based dance companies. As an advocate for equity in the arts, her artistry extends beyond performance to teaching, cultural arts education, mentoring, curation, community arts engagement and publications. Miss Coco Murray is her mobile dance education business informed by research and praxis of anti-racism in dance and amplifying African diasporic arts knowledge. Collette pursues a PhD in Dance Studies at York University. Murray holds a Master of Education, a Specialized Honours BA in Race, Ethnicity & Indigeneity, a Certificate in Anti-Racist Research and Practice from York University, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Toronto.

Simone Patricia 

Afro - Caribbean artist Simone Patricia is a contemporary artist from the Waterloo Region who graduated with degrees in both Visual Arts and Education. Her expressive colour filled works pay homage to her African-Caribbean heritage/culture. Her works depict the diversity within the Afro community and focuses on the evolution of said community in a positive light whilst being Black. Imperfection is Simone's drive and motivation. She focuses on a combination of geometry and vibrancy to create fluidity and freedom within her works. Her hopes are that her viewers are continuously able to understand and gain a positive perspective while being immersed within her various creations. Simone's goal is to continue shining light on and for her community while being able to educate the minds of the ones here now and generations to come.

Àbíkẹ́ The Artist

Azeezat Oyawoye (She/Her), also known as Àbíkẹ́ The Artist is a Waterloo-based Nigerian artist who honors her Yoruba culture by incorporating its colour and spirit in her art. Her artwork celebrates Black women and Orì, a Yoruba term that translates to “head,” referring to ones purpose and essence. Oyawoye reimagines Orì, as the soul being embodied by otherworldly beings. Her artwork is intentional in its recognition of the beauty of African features as a means to preserve her cultural history and advocate for her gender through art. For Black and Free: New Art, Oyawoye will debut a new piece that allows audiences to consider the Black female spirit that lies within the outer form.