A sky for peoples and A space for us
a sky for peoples and a space for us by Karly Cywink are two of over 35 public artworks on display across the City of Mississauga.
Karly Cywink, 2023
Digital Illustration, printed on vinyl
IDEA Square One (Square One Mall, Second Floor)
About the artwork
“a sky for peoples is inspired by my recent obsession with the sky and everything that it can hold. I’ve been taught that the sky provides a place for guidance in many different aspects of life; from practical resources, identity, to the observation of spiritual beings. It’s a place that I often find myself gazing up at subconsciously. It’s a place I know I can sit and stare at and ponder the mundane, like what I should get for groceries this week, as well as the existential question of what our meaning is. I don’t truly know what the skies tell me, but I get lost in thought every time and often come away feeling better. To me, this piece inspires thought and question, innovation and creation, and an overall sense of want and yearning for something new and exciting.
a space for us is both the counterpart and opposite to a sky for peoples. Just like its sister, a space for us is inspired by the thought-provoking beauty of both natural and manmade objects that surround us, in our everyday life. As someone who has spent the better part of my life living and visiting rural spaces, landscapes have always been something that I find quite captivating. They are something that I often find are unfortunately overlooked in the urban spaces, that most of us find ourselves in. There are views that can inspire flow and thinking, in a multitude of contexts. We let go of the privilege to see and marvel at these mundane landscapes, in favour of the busy and sprawling landscape in our urban environments.
I hope these pieces inspire us, as creatives and innovators, to take a step back and revisit the not-so-obvious beauty of the land that allows us to be here.”
– Karly Cywink
Gallery
About the artist
Karly Cywink is an Ojibwe multidisciplinary artist, originally from Manitoulin Island, and is now based in Toronto. Cywink’s work ranges from filmmaking, communications, and design, to traditional painting and illustration.
As a recent graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s RTA Media Production program, Cywink’s studies focused on documentary filmmaking and design, with two short documentaries about self-determination and self-identity in young Indigenous adults.
Karly is now completing her Master of Arts in Media Production as she looks into the nostalgic experience and how this informs tangible creative art. She will be publishing an illustrative comic for her dissertation. She hopes to continue to create strong foundations as an emerging artist and creative leader while shaping the media landscape by sharing experiences and elevating the voices of others.
For more, follow the artist on Instagram, @karlycywinkart, or visit their website.
More information
The artwork is part of the City of Mississauga Public Art Collection and was commissioned in collaboration with IDEA.