COL LAB

The OCADU Sustainable Colour Lab COL LAB is a space and community for artists and designers to conduct, create and disseminate knowledge in material colour research. 

 

This exhibition includes work by community members and invited guests. 

 

Beginning in the Fall of 2024, The Sustainable Colour Lab (SCL) focuses on exploring relational approaches to place, space, and time, with an emphasis on sourcing pigments and materials from local, ethically produced sites. The research centers on critical cultural inquiries and collaborative partnerships with Indigenous communities and makers to foster supportive communities of practice rooted in land-based pedagogies. By making knowledge through material, form, and practice, COL LAB aims to develop a holistic production process that considers the entire lifecycle of art and design—from source to final form, therefore, encouraging a deeper understanding of individual impact while advocating for the divestment from plastics, petroleum-based solvents, and volatile organic compounds. 

 

The lab’s trans-disciplinary approach bridges art, design, science, and technology, integrating scientific knowledge with the practical needs of artists and designers. SCL is building a collaborative database, partnering with artists and designers from other academic institutions, materials scientists, conservation experts, and Indigenous collaborators.

 

 

Nicole Collins, Bita Ebnesheykhi, Vanessa Dionne Fletcher, Heather Frise, Kiran Gill, H kryworuchko, Judith Librach, Alice Matsui, Dorie Millerson, nik october-clydesdale, Michelle Peraza, Lauchlan Reid, Adrienne Reynolds, Yana Rzayeva, Julia Rose Sutherland, Carson Van Vliet, Amanda Nicole White, Alize Zorlutuna