20th CENTURY TORONTO:

INTERSECTIONS AND INTERACTIONS

SOLO EXHIBITION by HANNA KOSTANSKI

AUGUST 2017

EXHIBITION DATES: August 3 to August 26 2017

Original paintings by Hanna Kostanski, based on photographs from the CITY OF TORONTO Archives

The City of Toronto Archives contains literally thousands of photographs of Toronto. Artist Hanna Kostanski has researched and selected 8 images from various eras in Toronto’s history, and has ‘brought them to life’ with her amazing painting skills, using acrylic paint on wood board.

Artist website www.hannakostanski.com

BIO

Hanna Kostanski was born in Szczecin, Poland, and grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. She obtained her BFA from OCAD University in 2007 and currently resides in Hamilton and works in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can be found in dozens of private and public collections in Toronto and Hamilton.

STATEMENT

For nearly a decade my work has been focused on the visible passage of time, experienced through the exploration and documentation of abandoned and decaying buildings in cities like Hamilton and Detroit. I have always been fascinated with historical architecture, specifically how we interact with our buildings and structures, and what happens when that interaction ceases to exist.

My current body of work continues to explore the connection between people and their environment, but with a focus on historical representations of that relationship.  To that end, I have been working on a series of paintings based on photographs found at the City of Toronto Public Archives. These images span several decades and are nostalgic of the city as it used to be. They celebrate the many past incarnations of Toronto -the vibrant intersections of the city and interactions of its people.