JAYU Festival of the Arts: Opening Reception
Annual Juried Exhibition
Art has a way of making us pause, ask questions, feel things we can't quite put into words, and see the familiar in an entirely new light.
Join us for the opening reception of the JAYU Festival of the Arts Annual Juried Exhibition, bringing together a variety of artists who invite us into their worlds through their art, stories, and lived experiences. Rooted in human rights and social justice, this exhibition explores the ideas, identities, and experiences that shape how we see ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
As part of the opening reception, there will be an artist panel discussion where you'll hear directly from the creatives behind the work. Get to know the artists, discover the stories and inspirations behind their pieces, and learn more about the ideas, experiences, and perspectives that shape their creative practices. It's your chance to go beyond the artwork, ask questions, and connect with the people bringing these stories to life.
Come curious. Take your time. Sit with the work that moves you, challenges you, or makes you see something differently. You might discover a new perspective, find a piece of yourself reflected in someone else's story, or leave with more questions than you came with.
Meet the Artists
Anne Layacan
Anne Layacan (she/they) is a photographer from Scarborough, ON, working primarily in digital and 35mm film formats, and explores themes of memory and identity. They are take inspiration from archival photography with a focus on their hometown in Scarborough during infrastructure change in city planning. Anne began as an iAM Photography graduate from 2023, and now works as a photography facilitator across various art organizations in the GTA. Anne has also worked commercially with brands such as TD Canada, Canon Canada, and Scarborough Made.
Betiel Ghirmay
Betiel Ghirmay (she/her) is an Eritrean multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Ontario. She holds a BFA in Drawing & Painting from OCAD University (2026) and works across painting, ceramics, and mixed media. Her practice is rooted in her Eritrean heritage, exploring how identity is shaped through material, memory, and lived experience. Drawing from personal and familial narratives, her work reflects on cultural continuity, transformation, and the ways heritage is carried across contexts. She recently completed an artist residency at the Nia Centre for the Arts, and her work has been presented publicly at TMU Station and featured in Fostering Connections, organized by the Gardiner Museum. Her ceramic work has also been selected for use in the Paramount/CBS series Cross.
Laneigh Shirely
Laneigh Ramirez (they/them) is a nonbinary and Black-Latine artist based in Toronto, Ontario. Their self-led creative journey encompasses live painting at assorted events, gallery exhibitions across North America, youth mentorship, community classes, and major clients such as Spike Lee, Toronto Tempo and Guinness. Their artworks capture character-defining experiences which unveil the oppressive conditions of society, using a foundation in drawing, layered with photography, various illustrative mediums, and anecdotal text. Their success is attributed to their intentional advocacy for the protection of Black and Queer people, in alignment with mental wellness and decolonization. Working largely with The Teresa Group, Laneigh offers predominantly Black children and family's opportunities to express themselves and experience emotional relief through their position as Resident Artist and Art Therapist.
Sayani Sarkar
Sayani Sarkar (she/her) is a photographer and storyteller from Kolkata, India, based in Toronto, Canada. Drawing on her background in theatre, writing, and painting, her conceptual photography explores displacement, identity, belonging, and human connection through visual storytelling. Her practice is rooted in an ongoing inquiry into how individuals navigate social structures, cultural expectations, and the spaces they inhabit, examining the tensions between individuality and collective experience. Working across conceptual, abstract, and documentary approaches, Sarkar often incorporates memory, gesture, and constructed environments to explore the complexities of human experience. Her work considers how personal histories intersect with broader social narratives, particularly through the lens of migration, cultural dislocation, and the shifting meanings of familiarity and belonging. Her multidisciplinary background informs an approach that is both observational and interpretive, using photography as a means of questioning how people perceive themselves and relate to the world around them. Her work has been exhibited at Toronto Public Library, Gallery 44, and Vytik Collective.
Tina Abdelbasit
Tina Abdelbasit (she/her) is a Sudanese oil painter based in Toronto whose work focuses on inserting queer people of colour into the art history canon. Taking inspiration from canonical paintings, Tina carefully chooses her subjects and intentionally places them in positions of power attempting to make up for years of erasure.
Vanna Nguyen
Vanna Nguyen (she/her) is a queer Vietnamese artist based in Toronto. From ephemeral sculpture to printmaking, her practice is rooted in an interdisciplinary approach to artmaking inspired by ritual and ecological systems. Through the exploration of biomaterial and material culture, her work examines non-human perceptions of time in relation to navigating queer identity within cultural traditions.
Veeda Tanwir
Veeda (she/her) is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist working across painting, digital media, textiles, and installation. Rooted in questions of displacement, immigration, cultural memory, and diasporic identity, her practice engages with Central Asian histories and the stories carried across borders and generations. She works with imagery, textiles, and material culture as vessels for memory, exploring how identity is inherited, fragmented, reconstructed, and continually reshaped through migration. Her work creates layered visual narratives that sit between personal memory and collective history, tracing the ways cultural stories endure, evolve, and find new forms in the diaspora.
Victory Anthony-Nted
Victory (she/her) is a Toronto-based Nigerian multidisciplinary artist who creates textile inspired paintings using gouache and acrylic. Her practice focuses on portraiture and healing using cultural symbolism. Victory uses art as a storytelling tool for self-reflection as she examines how personal and collective histories are held in the body. Her work is grounded in a trauma-informed lens, informed by her background in psychology and mental health interventions. Alongside her artistic practice, Victory has facilitated community art and wellness workshops using creative expression as a tool for connection, reflection, and care.
Zere Abylgazina
Zere Abylgazina (she/her) (b. 2003) is a visual artist, curator, and arts facilitator, whose work is a vivid exploration of identity, culture, and personal narrative. She holds a Specialized Honours Bachelors of Arts in Visual Arts and Art History from York University. Born in Kazakhstan and based in Toronto, Zere brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to her art and curatorial practice. Working across various media, Zere blends traditional techniques with modern approaches, crafting pieces that are both introspective and outwardly engaging. Her art often centers on themes of belonging, memory, and cultural resilience, inviting viewers to experience the layered stories behind each work. Whether through portraiture or abstract visual metaphors, Zere’s pieces provoke reflection on how history, culture, and the self intersect. Zere has exhibited at RCHIVE, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC), She Said Gallery, Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery, Northern Contemporary, Gallery 1313, Integral by Kinesis performance (Toronto, ON), and Central State Museum of Republic of Kazakhstan (Almaty, Kazakhstan). Zere curated exhibitions at York University, RCHIVE, and Art Week Toronto. Zere Abylgazina facilitated art and art history workshops at York University, JAYU, and University of Toronto.
Meet Your Host
Desiree McKenzie
Desiree Mckenzie is an award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, voice actor and programming manager at JAYU. Her poetry and voice have been featured in works for CBC, the TTC, Clearco Financial, Button Poetry, Kids Help Phone and Home Depot. She facilitates a range of community poetry programming for organizations like JAYU, VIBE Arts, Unity Charity and Poetry in Voice. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. As program manager at JAYU, she curates free arts programming for equity-deserving youth, helping them to grow in their artistic careers.
Agenda
- 6:00 pm
Doors Open
Arrive, explore the exhibition, and connect with the community.
- 6:30 pm
Welcome & Introduction
Opening remarks and an introduction to the JAYU Festival of the Arts and this year’s juried exhibition.
Panel Discussion
Hear directly from the exhibiting artists as they discuss their work, creative processes, and the ideas behind their pieces.
- 8:00 pm
Event Concludes
FAQs
- What is JAYU?
JAYU is a registered Canadian charity that equips and platforms equity-deserving individuals dedicated to using art for change. Rooted in community and informed by human rights, we deliver transformative arts programs and mentorship for youth across the GTA, as well as education and employment opportunities for emerging arts professionals.
Our work is guided by a shared belief in the power of art to transform lives. With the support of our staff, artists, educators, and Board of Directors, we create safe creative spaces through our iAM programming, showcase opportunities like our annual poetry slams, the JAYU Festival of the Arts and by partnering with organizations across the city to bring arts into community hubs and public spaces.
- What is JAYU Festival of the Arts?
JAYU Festival of the Arts (JFA) is a 7-day celebration of creative expression rooted in human rights and social justice, featuring films, workshops, performances, an exhibition, and an artist market. We believe art can be a tool for change by sharing human rights stories, building empathy, fostering healing and community, and sparking the conversations that help push the world toward a more equitable, loving place.
- How does ticketing work?
As part of JAYU’s commitment to accessibility, we offer different types of ticketing to every event to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the festival.
Free Admission: Creates access to our space and events for those who may not be in a position to give.
Give-What-You-Can: Builds welcoming spaces for everyone to share their stories. This option is for folks that are able to donate and wish to support JAYU Festival of the Arts and our programming.
- What is accessibility like at your venue?
401 Richmond is wheelchair accessible with gender neutral washrooms. Wheelchair entrances are located:
At the front entrance near the Roastery Café (east of Spadina Avenue)
At the north-east corner of the building, near the Spacing and Swipe retail shops (west of the corner of Richmond and Peter Streets).
Paid parking is available within the area. We recommend:
83 Peter Street (underground lot; card and online payment options available; 5 minute walk)
448 Richmond Street West (outdoor lot; physical card required; 2 minute walk)
Thank you to our sponsors and funders!
As a registered charity, JAYU’s work is made possible by the generous support of our funders and partners. We gratefully acknowledge the Government of Canada, through Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Arts Presentation Fund and Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program Events Stream, for supporting the JAYU Festival of the Arts.
We also thank our year-round supporters: TD Bank, Lead iAM Core Sponsor; Ontario Trillium Foundation; Charles H. Ivey Foundation; Canada Life; TELUS Friendly Future Foundation; The Daniels Corporation; Canada Council for the Arts; Sony Canada; and the F.K. Morrow Foundation.
Our year-round operations are supported by Toronto Arts Council, with funding from the City of Toronto, and the Ontario Arts Council.
Thank you to all our supporters for helping JAYU keep art, storytelling, and community at the heart of everything we do.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
