TTC celebrating Black History Month

About Astrosankofa Arts Initiatives

Astrosankofa Arts Initiatives explores the connection to the past, present and future through the West African concept, sankofa. The practice of this is called “Sankofanology”. Sankofanology is at the heart of the work of the organization as it relates to Afrofuturism, which centres stories and practices towards the healing, growth, evolution and exponential potential of people of African descent. The organization is instrumental in highlighting creatives and providing opportunities for Black artists to share their pieces within various community settings.

The map shown in the background of each image, is the Toronto archival map of the early 1900s. It is meant to give a contrast to the development of Toronto that we know today. The map is inverted to represent the Black “inverted” and introspective perspective on the often underappreciated and under recognized side of Toronto’s history that is owed a lot of its development to Black leaders we are highlighting.

Artist profiles:

Adeyemi “Yung Yemi” Adegbesan

Yung Yemi is a Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist whose practice aims to examine the intersectionality of Black identity. Reflecting on Black culture ideologies from pre-colonial, colonial, present day and future timelines; across regions, religions, varying levels of invoice and political lines, Yung Yemi examines the dichotomy of the richness of Black experiences with the imposed societal homogeneity of ‘Blackness’. Through his work, Yung Yemi pulls from these varying elements to create Afrofuturistic portraits that embody themes of history, fantasy, speculative futures, and spirituality.

Autumn Beals

Autumn Beals is an oral historian and visual artist. She holds a BA in Honours Public History and Minor in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality from Concordia University. Her interests and work explore the social and cultural histories of marginalized communities in nineteenth to twentieth century North America, focusing on the intersectionality of race, sexuality and gender in these experiences. She hopes to continue engaging with the diverse and rich histories of these communities through oral, digital and visual forms of storytelling and practice.

Kanisha Dabreo

Multi-disciplinary artist and digital designer Kanisha Dabreo has been exploring her creative expression for the last 5 years, with a background in marketing and web development. She is interested in the different ways to connect and inspire through visual communication. Kanisha Dabreo is one of the first artists to be a part of the AstroSankofa artist roster for the collective and works contractually as the organization’s Web 3 project manager.

Danilo Deluxo McCallum

Danilo Deluxo is an award-winning Toronto Multidisciplinary Artist, Graphic Designer, Muralist and Cultural Curator. His creative practice explores the multiplicities of Black identity through the lens of Afrofuturism.

Meighan Morson

Meighan Morson is a digital Afrofuturistic painter that primarily works with the human figure. Employing the use of high contrast, light and form, she creates strong, otherworldly and ethereal beings. She also writes poetry and short fiction.

Komi Olaf

Komi Olaf is a visual artist, poet and architectural designer who is best known for his ability to represent, both visually and poetically, the complexities of the world and generation he finds himself within. In recent years, Komi’s art has been shaped by a cultural and artistic movement known as Afrofuturism, which explores African and African diasporic cultures in intersection with technology.

Quentin VerCetty

As a multi-award winning interdisciplinary creative, Quentin VerCetty is also one of the world’s leading Afrofuturist a-r-tographers (artist-researcher-teacher practitioner). Creator of Toronto’s first monument of a person of African descent, entitled Stepping Forward into History, which is a memorial to freedom seeker Joshua Glover, he is also the first artist to be commissioned by Carnegie Hall Foundation creating their Afrofuturism festival branding. Additionally, Quentin VerCetty is the founder and steward of the Black Speculative Arts Movement (BSAM) Canada and the founder and artistic producer of AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives.

Troydel Wallace

Troydel Wallace is a Jamaican born Toronto-based digital and visual artist whose passion is fueled by his desire to inspire change and impact lives by staying true to his art style, and his mission to showcase the beauty and value of the African Community on a whole. Troydel’s drive is propelled by his conviction that he was called to be an artist through his intense fascination with the Afro Futurism art style, Afro Punk aesthetics and his Caribbean cultural influence. Troydel’s gold themed art style creates visual metaphors that celebrates the beauty and value in the African aesthetics, culture, and its people.

Over the course of 2023, we will be recognizing several important awareness days and months, as part of our comprehensive diversity program. Stay tuned for more information.