We're excited to announce Sara Abulkarim and Emerald Repard-Denniston as the recipients of the Akin Studios 2022 Career Launcher.
Sara Abulkarim is an emerging interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto. Born in Iraq, she immigrated to Montreal in 2002, where she studied Interior Design. Following her passion, in 2017 she decided to study Fine Arts at OCAD University. Sara’s art often stems from memory and feelings. She paints moments and fragments of her life, meaningful spaces and moments that sculpted her into the person she is today. Intrigued by abstract, she loves to try new techniques and mediums to mimic her emotions through colours and gestures. Her work is characterized by vibrant colours and animated movement.
Website: www.saraabulkarim.com
Emerald Repard-Denniston is a queer Chinese-Canadian visual artist. She is committed to anticolonial and anti-capitalist politics and activist work. She wishes to break apart from settler-colonial, hetero-patriarchal binaries and beliefs. Based in Squamish,Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam/Vancouver, and Tkaronto/Toronto, her practice focuses on the diasporic-Canadian experience through drawing, painting, and digital media. She is an emerging artist who has acquired a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Drawing and Painting Program from OCAD University and a Minor in Art and Social Change.
Website: www.repard-denniston-emerald.format.com
Instagram: @em_thepainter
The two successful applicants will be awarded $2,000 in credits to go towards a studio space at Akin’s shared workspaces in 2022-2023. Additionally, each recipient will receive $450 credit for use at Akin Studio’s Remote Gallery at Richmond and Portland, courtesy of Akin Studios. Remote Gallery provides the opportunity to exhibit work, host workshops / artist talks, or other activities relevant to early career growth.
Akin is a Toronto-based arts organization that provides creative studio space as well as arts-based programming. Akin’s studios provide a working environment that maintains a friendly and inspiring atmosphere where people can work on creative endeavours and creative entrepreneurial undertakings of all kinds. They build community through accessible and educational programming along with open studio events, gallery tours, exhibitions, as well as various other art projects. www.akincollective.com
🎯 To learn more about this and other Career Launchers visit: https://careerlaunchers.format.com/2022-akin-studio