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Public Art Profile

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Artist: Elicser Elliott in collaboration with Ghazaleh Rastgar (Ghazaraza)
Category: Temporary Public Art Projects
Address: 37 Egypt Drive

This public art initiative is part of the My Neighbourhood Art Project; a series of site-specific, temporary art installations created in collaboration with the local community. One of the project's goals is to increase artist opportunities by pairing a local emerging artist with an experienced lead artist.

For the Wiggins Park Basketball Court Mural, lead artists, Elicser Elliott, in collaboration with Ghazaleh Rastgar (Ghazaraza), designed a fun and colourful mural inspired by the diverse and vibrant park community. The artwork incorporates a playful take on the 3-point line, encouraging the viewers’ eyes (and bodies) to move across the court. To foster community engagement, the artist team, supported by emerging artist Sima Naseem, hosted a Community Paint Jam where neighbourhood participants painted background sections of the mural and completed artist-designed colouring sheets.

This mural is a celebration of the local community and the unifying power of basketball. With two characters on either side of the court aligning with the parameters of standard courts, the artwork captures the spirit of friendly competition, teamwork, and connection that bring people together. The central basketball anchors the design, reminding us that sport and art can unite us in shared spaces. This piece is meant to energize the court and inspire everyone—from players to spectators—to come together and enjoy the vibrant spirit of the game.

My Neighbourhood Art Project responds to a council directive for city-wide neighbourhood beautification and speaks to a need for meaningful, neighbourhood-level, placemaking and community arts engagement.

image of Live Together, Play Together, 2024

Elicser Elliott

Since gr​​aduating from Sheridan College’s animation program, Elliott has amassed a collection of murals and public artworks that have come to help define Toronto's cityscape. Moving beyond notions of the streets being his only canvas, Elliott has exhibited works at The Art Gallery of Ontario, The Royal Ontario Museum, and LE Gallery. Elliott has also acted as an arts educator working with the Art Gallery of Ontario's "Free After Three" youth arts program, and the Toronto Jazz Festival, teaching youth aerosol paint techniques. Elliott's most notable works can be described as a highly improvised collage of soft characters and organic shapes, layered and blended through transparencies. His character work is often mediated by past experiences and relationships while also drawing on the likenesses of passers-by to complete his community-based murals. Elliott has also illustrated and produced a small run of books titled "Know Love."

Ghazaleh Rastgar (Ghazaraza)

Ghazaleh Rastgar, an Iranian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist, combines nature, the human body, and Iranian stories in her vibrant works. With a Bachelor’s from OCADU, she reignited her artistic path after a corporate stint. Ghazaleh’s art explores feminism, love, sensuality, and identity, provoking profound reflection through bold shapes, clean lines and intricate textures. Her work has been exhibited worldwide including the Paris Museum of Modern Art, gaining global acclaim, and on TV programs including CBC’s Exhibitionists. She’s a curator and coordinator of a myriad of projects with StreetARToronto and cofounded an all BIBOC women’s collective called Moonlight Murals in 2021.

Sima Naseem

Sima Naseem is an emerging South-Asian multidisciplinary artist who employs an artistic approach encompassing public art and animation. Her work has been presented on large-scale public art across the GTA, expressing the values of local communities and promoting environmental awareness. Her work has been featured at Mississauga’s Celebration Square, Paramount Fine Foods Center Sports Complex, the city of Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga. As an Honours Bachelor of Animation graduate from Sheridan College, Sima’s public artwork expresses flow, narrative and character. She has previously worked with the City of Mississauga, City of Brampton, Mississauga Arts Council, STEPS Public Art, and StreetARToronto.