Cover photo, artwork: Where I want to live (detail) by Yonny Jeong
Statement
This exhibition includes a selection of projects from the 2023 English for Art & Design (EAD): Bridge to First Year program at OCAD University. Over the six weeks of this intensive program, students have been immersed in creative processes such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and sketchbook activities, all supporting an iterative project development for artmaking and writing. Students were asked to consider the context in which they are making art & design and to consider influences such as cultural and world events, personal stories, the spaces they inhabit, and innovations that have shaped their lives. Over our time together many different themes have emerged including the connection we feel to our physical places and objects, concerns about the environment, memories of childhood, and a predominant interest in emergent technologies and how they impact our lives and self-image. Who we are in this endless feedback loop of technology led us to the title Mirror/Mirror. Welcome to the artwork of our EAD students.
About EAD: Bridge to First Year
English for Art & Design (EAD) is tailored for new art & design students who speak English as an additional language. EAD: Bridge to First Year, our summer offering, is a six-week intensive (non-credit) that provides a pathway for students who have met the admissions criteria for entry to OCAD University except for the English language proficiency level requirements. Multilingual students who have met English language proficiency requirements can also participate in the program to get a head start on their first year.
The program offers much more than language learning. Students work with experienced instructors to build academic language skills that are specific to art and design disciplines, engage in creative and interactive studio practice, learn about university and OCAD U-specific classroom cultures/practices, develop familiarity with different media, and build helpful connections to start their first year.
This year, the program involved 38 diverse students located across the globe, entering different undergraduate programs at OCAD University. You can click on a student's name to navigate to their artwork or scroll to view each piece in the show.
More about English for Art & Design at OCAD University.
Our Team
This program would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of those listed here: Manager, English Language Learning: Emilie Brancato; Interim Manager, EAD: Shahriar Mirshahidi; EAD Specialist: Adrienne Reynolds; Program Coordinator, EAD: Elaine Munro; Discussions in Visual Culture Instructors: Emily Cadotte and Xiangying Huo; Art & Design Studio Instructors: Adrienne Reynolds and Craig Rodmore; ELL Writing & Learning Consultants (Language Coaches): Sanam Bahavar and Andrea Valente; Instructional Designer: Michelle Majeed; Instructional Design Assistant, EAD: Lex Burgoyne; and Student Monitor: Ivy He.
We also wish to thank other OCAD University staff/community members: Director, Teaching & Learning: Susan Ferguson; Associate Director, Teaching & Learning: Christina Halliday; Writing & Learning Consultant (ELL): Phoebe Wang; Writing & Learning Consultant: Rebecca Diederichs; Program Coordinator, English Language Learning: Courtney Gillatly; Educational Developer: Travis Freeman; our colleagues who work in Admissions & Recruitment; the International Student Support Office, and other colleagues in OCAD U administrative departments/functions for their support.
STUDENTS
Marcus Chen, Jaden (Jaeho) Choi, Starry (Eunjin) Choi, Ida (Chen) Fu, Joy (Jiayi) He, Junrong Huang, Yonny Jeong, Wendi Jia, Haena Jung, Erin Geuna Kim, Yuchan Kim, Crystal Kong, Yilun Lao, Yeon (Juyeon) Lee, Linda (Tong) Li, Lucy (Can) Li, Michael (Yushen) Li, Taylor Luo, Acacia Moon, Kyle (Gijun) Moon, Yuzhen Ni, Lam (Lam Hong Truc) Pham, Evelynn (Uyen Ky) Pho, Loukas Quan, Tsun-Yu Shao, Kyung Sunwoo, Tristan (Yizhou) Wang, Yihan Wang, Xiang Wu, Yiwei Wu, Esther Xu, Richard Xu, Eleanor Yao, Da-Som Yeom, Billy (Runfeng) Yuan, Jennifer (Jing) Zhan, Laney Zhou, Amy (Yifan) Zong
THE EXHIBITION
Marcus Chen
After doing blind contour self-portraits, I wanted to try self-portraits again. This time I used them to try out different brushes in Clip. I drew contrasting colour blocks and lines, and also added some lines like a sketch.
Jaden (Jaeho) Choi
When I travel, the food of the places I visit always remains most memorable, especially in Paris. To depict these personal experiences, I have created a collage of unforgettable foods on top of photos I took in Paris. The foods in the work are the ones I ate most memorably in Paris.
Starry (Eunjin) Choi
I drew an illustration using Procreate. The child in the picture is named Yuo. As you know, you never know what will happen in a child's adventure. I invite you to the story of Yuo, who chased a butterfly and went into the forest. In this piece, you can see Yuo's pure curiosity.
Joy (Jiayi) He
If tea sets are transformed into human beings, they can make cultural relics look more vivid. In Song Dynasty, people liked to use dark tea sets when drinking tea which was also the inspiration for the colour scheme of this painting. This character looks young and calm which is also the characteristic of the tea set I want to showcase.
Junrong Huang
I capture the essence of Farewell to the Past through photography, exploring the deep connection between memories, emotions, and the human psyche. I aim to highlight the transformative power of embracing change while delving into the psychological impact of letting go.
Yonny Jeong
This drawing was created using Procreate. It depicts a duplex building inspired by the common residential style in Toronto, designed for single individuals or small families. I drew inspiration from IKEA’s signature colours and minimalist style.
Wendi Jia
All achievements made while alive cease to exist upon death. In my opinion, life is the beginning and end of everything, and I began to think about the meaning of people fighting for so-called fame and fortune, and what the purpose of living is.
Haena Jung
This is a self-portrait drawing. We live among rapidly changing technology and how this will change our lifestyle is unknown. We might have ambivalent feelings between excitement and fear about state-of-the-art technology.
Erin Geuna Kim
Engines work by converting energy into other energy, and we are like engines. Our will, passion, and desire to do in life become energy and move us. What I want to express in this work is we should try our best in everything because humans die someday, like an engine breaking down.
Yuchan Kim
This piece is a self-portrait expressed through objects. I have never experienced such a foreign life before, so I chose the shoe because I think I am walking on a new path. Behind it is a subway map; there are many paths in the subway, and I grow by experiencing them. Finally, the red paint symbolizes my passion, aspiration, and ambition.
Yilun Lao
Since I moved from Markham to a condo downtown, I decided to iterate the activity Where You Are. I used my tablet to draw my room and used striking colours to describe the details of the place where I live every day. I added light and shadows to some areas to make it more realistic.
Yeon (Juyeon) Lee
Experiencing communication with many things away from me in both time and distance through technology, I could make myself more colorful. The world full of technology has been generating a new me combined with technology, and I will become a piece of the technological world.
Linda (Tong) Li
Every girl has her own ideal room, and I design my future home, all decorations are what I want. My room should be bright and spacious and make me feel comfortable, also this house is near the beach and the windows of the house are designed to be wide and big so that the sunlight can easily enter the room and make it brighter.
Michael (Yushen) Li
I am trying to draw myself in an abstract style. The theme of this artwork is myself, and I want to use a lot of bright colours to describe it which means I am an interesting person full of ideas; also, I used contrast colours to draw the surface and the shadow.
Taylor Luo
My work is inspired by turning to a camera to observe life from different perspectives. The circular outline and secondary reflection through the mirror both represent the camera's points of view, while the colour pencil presents the pleasure of seeing. It also represents my curiosity for life, art, and design no matter how difficult it is.
Acacia Moon
I drew a hamster doing a hamster wheel because I spend every day repeatedly according to my routine. Most people use the term "hamster wheel" in a negative way, but I like it because living in a routine is healthy for body and mind. Also, if you repeat something regularly every day, it gets better and better.
Kyle (Gijun) Moon
How can we determine what we see, and do the things we perceive with our eyes really have the same shape? I wanted to raise questions about how the things we see can be reflected to others. We see the same things, but they can look different depending on individual perceptions.
Yuzhen Ni
I hope that the prosthetics I design can help disabled people with physical or psychological loss and pain. Only by sincerely embracing the past experience can we become a complete self and explore the connection between the body and also the prosthesis through modern decoration.
Lam (Lam Hong Truc) Pham
I have enjoyed working on this project. I used a pencil for shade and light, then markers to clarify the line and texture and crayon pencils. I was inspired by discussions on Innovations/Cultural Influences. I chose the coffee machine because it is an icon in the Vietnamese morning culture.
Evelynn (Uyen Ky) Pho
My work captures fragility and experience; it is an inspiration of my lifetime and others around. It could be a harsh experience but because of it my life has moved on to the next chapter. With this small piece of work, I hope it can bring another view on life too.
Loukas Quan
As a work that I am interested in in the EAD course, I think the design of a pipe is very historic and trans-epochal. When I designed this pipe, I used a lotus-shaped head design and made the connection with the root in the shape of a lotus root stem. I think it is good.
Tsun-Yu Shao
Nowadays Selfie Culture indicates a shift in the line between public and private life, capturing and oversharing become prevalent in today's culture; do we still press the shutter to preserve fleeting moments for eternity?
Kyung Sunwoo
Transforming discarded PET and coffee capsules into glowing elegance, my chandelier redefines interior design, revealing the remarkable potential of upcycling. Upcycling artwork shines a light on innovation with positive social and economic effects.
Tristan (Yizhou) Wang
A black hole is like Schrödinger's cat, and it is not yet known whether you will live or die when you meet it. In the eyes of human beings, black holes are so beautiful and magical. Humans appreciate the beauty of black holes but have never experienced the horror of black holes; however in the eyes of other planets, black holes are the spokesman of death.
Yihan Wang
My inspiration for this work is my pet cat because it looked very much like a stereo. Its eyes and ears are designed to be four speakers which look like a cat’s head. I also gave this stereo a name, called “cataudio,” a combination of the words “cat” and “audio.”
Xiang Wu
A tree can survive for hundreds of years and can support tens of thousands of insects and animals. A book can enrich one's mind and spirit by reading and acquiring knowledge. This work aims to make me think about the relationship between man and nature with a reverent heart grateful for what I have.
Yiwei Wu
The character is from an animation I watched in middle school. It changed my life direction and led me to learning animation. Aying’s work inspired me to create this work. Lately, I am interested in DIY projects and I want to express myself in this manner.
Esther (Xiyuan) Xu
Growing from the rest of the world on a foundation of decay, this work represents death but with a strange burst of life. Bear sprouting ₍₍ ◝(●˙꒳˙●)◜⚘₎₎
Richard Xu
Amidst deep sea and vast cosmos, I am an astronaut chasing stars. Blue whales and jellyfish symbolize freedom while planets anchor me in space. Dreams meet mysteries in a dance of light and darkness.
Eleanor Yao
My artwork was inspired by kaleidoscopes which I think can represent me now. Moreover, I am a person who tends to be an overthinker; overthinking can be mentally tiring; thus, I chose the snake to symbolize excessive thinking.
Da-Som Yeom
This drawing is a self-portrait that expresses my inner self. I drew it in the hope that people will not only look at and decorate their outer selves, but also explore and cultivate their inner selves, and find images of their souls that have infinite possibilities.
Billy (Runfeng) Yuan
This is a sci-fi love animation movie about dreams. Some dreams are beautiful, and the dreamer hopes that the dream will never end. The fact is that in the end, people wake up and forget everything about the dream. Until a certain moment, there will be a feeling of déjà vu.
Jennifer (Jing) Zhan
The two themes I wanted to show in this work are surveillance and control. The eyes in the background and the whole stage seem to be under surveillance, while the control is shown by the "puppets" who have no way to control themselves on stage. You may have noticed a red dot over the eye on the stage. This red dot makes the eye look more like a camera, which is my way of reflecting the role that electronic devices play in SURVEILLANCE in life nowadays.
Amy (Yifan) Zong
This pop art drawing uses acrylic marker and paper to explore tears from different emotions. People's tears have unique shapes and textures, which inspired me to create illustrations depicting individuals with blocked tear duct. Tears are not just a symbol of sadness; they express various emotions and preserve precious memories. These tear-filled memories hold great significance.
Thank you for visiting this online exhibition!