This student art exhibition invites viewers into a contemplative space where art meets the passage of time. It examines how time influences and revitalizes artistic expression, encouraging a dialogue in the in-between. By exploring temporal themes from multiple perspectives – be it through literal representations of time, or reproductions of artistic movements in history – the artists examine how time both shapes and is shaped by art.
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Each piece in the exhibition explores time’s layered dimensions: some artworks evoke the passage of generations, through imagery and symbols hinting at the persistence of memory and cultural identity. Others depict the fragile nature of relationships or the transformative journey of healing. Some artists employ vintage aesthetics, blending past art movements such as Art Nouveau, Romanticism or Greek Sculpture with present styles. The three-dimensional artworks displayed in vitrines throughout Hart House use materials that age over time or merge traditional representations of art with new technologies, adding a tactile sense of history and continuity. Through varied media—photography, painting, woodworking, and more—these works capture both fleeting moments and lasting legacies.
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"Temporal Threads" reflects on the dual nature of time as both a force that erodes and a power that preserves. This exhibition urges viewers to consider whether art serves as a mirror to the past or as a bridge to future generations, and how, through art, we might engage with the timeless aspects of human experience. Temporal Threads shows how time molds identity, memory, and meaning, inviting us to weave our own reflections into a collective temporal experience.
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Sophie Disch and Chloe Lee
Hart House Art Committee
Student Projects Co-Chairs
Featured Artworks
The First Supper / The First Supper 1995
Beatriz Simas
Photography
Through the use of a visual medium, combined with a Cindy Sherman styled approach to the self portrait, the artist embodies her family members, as seen in The First Supper 1995. Through the embodiment of her family, her father at the head of the table, her grandparents on one side, and her aunt and uncle on the other, the artist o=ers an introspective of the immigrant experience, a reflection on cultural dilution which occurs through the passage of time, as well as the differences of being a first generation Canadian, versus fresh Portuguese-Brazilian immigrants.
Memento Mori
Ahmad Al Qadri
Acrylic on canvas
This work explores the concept of memento mori—Latin for "Remember, you must die"— through the contemplation of the relationship between life and the ephemeral nature of time. The impermanence inherent in all things ultimately imparts value on life, positioning death as the definitive bestower of meaning. Thus as time fleets, it brings along with it, all through which it glides, languishing in its ultimate passing.
Entwined in Time
Cheng Peng
Acrylic on canvas
Reflecting on timeless memories of my childhood spent striding through Vancouver’s lush forests, I explored how cherished moments from the past continue to shape and influence the present. Drawing from the branches of time, simple moments can ripple across the years, rooting adulthood in resilience and strength.
Exile of Time
Gillian Stam
Oil on canvas
Exile of Time explores the changing relationship between art and culture. Combining technology from different timeframes, the work constructs a world in which time is deconstructed, and the hierarchies between moments in history are eliminated. Distinctions between high and low culture and advanced and archaic technology collapse, resulting in a captivating dreamscape that counters our traditional conceptions of history.
Family Ties
Emma Tanner
Screen printing on paper
This work analyzes personal themes of generational trauma and the effects of memory that cause psychological strain over time. Using collaged photos and elements from the artists childhood, the work displays the temporal nature of time, but also the persistence of memory.
Mockery
Eejin Choi
Gouache on paper
Inspired by a scene from the film Labyrinth(1986), this work was painted with my attempt to recreate Art Nouveau style to deliver the more fantastical, mystical atmosphere.
Fragment of Reflection
Indrani Paul
Graphite pencil and black gel ink
Michelangelo’s "David," sculpted between 1501 and 1504, is a defining masterpiece of the Italian High Renaissance. This iconic work helped spread Renaissance culture across Western Europe and remains a timeless symbol of art’s enduring power. "David" not only reflects the culture, values, and civil liberties of Florence in the 1500s but also serves as a bridge to future artistic expressions. His intense gaze captures the spirit of an era, while the statue's unmatched craftsmanship continues to inspire and connect us to history. Art fades with time, but its impact endures.
Taped Memories
Jamie Li
Acrylic paint on stretched canvas
“Taped Memories” is an acrylic painting exploring the complexities of my relationship with my older brother. The painting is inspired by a photo which displays a beautiful sibling bond, yet I’ve completely forgotten this joyful event. Thus, I wanted to demonstrate the e=ects of time on memory, love and relationships through this painting. The separation between the taped paper figures and the abstract background represents my attempt to integrate the a=ection displayed in images into my actual memory, illustrating the artificiality of using photos to recall forgotten experiences.
Picture Perfect
Kodi Ume-Onyido
Acrylic on canvas
In Picture Perfect I explore how the passage of time has transformed my understanding and portrayal of the Ume-Onyido family. Reimagining a 10-year-old family photo from my older brother’s graduation, I use loose brushstrokes, blank faces, and exposed underpainting to convey the "unfinishedness" that time has revealed in our relationships. While once a moment of togetherness, this image now symbolizes hidden tensions, unresolved conflicts, and the strain of maintaining a facade. By stripping away expressions, I depict my family as distant, almost unfamiliar figures, inviting viewers to see how time alters not only memories but identities in art.
Stumps
Melanie Fujs
embroidery and lace on fabric
This piece explores transitional periods and its multiple layers show the di=erent periods of time: vintage fabric serves as a pre-existing colourful backdrop, and machine stitched lines over top illustrate cut down tree trunks over it. Harsh, dark, machine-made lines disrupt the design of a campy, cheerful fabric graphic to depict a harsh and unforgiving impact of a very impersonal system. Then, hand stitched greenery (using combinations of layered green polyester threads and using thin wool yarns) on top of the stumps as an additional layer, slowly adding a hint of growth and time having passed beyond disaster.
in parallel
Nadia Mariyan Smith
photographs
Created with cyanotype paper exposed in a 4x5 view camera over six days, in parallel captures an evolving image over time. The long exposure process reflects the passage of time as something fluid yet structured, with light subtly etching itself into the paper over days rather than seconds. The work asks viewers to consider: how do we experience time, space, and memory simultaneously? Are we living in parallel dimensions? Is time merely a construct that warps depending on our perception?
Time Heals
Samantha Cheng
Acrylic & Oil on Canvas
“Time heals” many say. Yet some people are shadowed by the past. This work portrays the exhausting and almost torturing healing journey and how it feels endless. Some pray to forget the past only to find out that the memories are engraved in their minds. By choice, we are trapped in old wounds. I used the renaissance painting techniques to emphasis the contrast in light and dark to enhance the emotions, varying from anger to powerlessness to numbness. I also used water to compare the mobility of time and it being impossible to break, leading to powerlessness.
Weaves of Time
Yangming Liu
Digital Photograghy
At 4:54PM, the sea breeze sweeps toward an elderly couple as they walk past the gravestones, the dry grass swaying beneath their feet in the sunset.
Each subject in the frame—the sun, the sea, the gravestones, and the couple—serves as a medium of time, layering and intertwining di=erent temporalities of existence.
I pressed the shutter, these varying durations are weaved together, united in a single frame.
For Sale Colorado
Amitai Heyl
Ink on paper
The main concept is to represent the passage of time using street flyers. I made around 60 copies of the same flyer and posted them around Toronto, each in a different location. After a week or so of being up, I took them down and attached them together, creating an 85x33-inch final artwork. There was almost no artistic touch applied to any of the flyers, so the only thing shown is the effect time has had on them.
Pinewabi
Sean Liu
Wooden sculpture
The wood itself is the embodiment of time, touch and feel the imperfections produced by the time of each piece of wood, to accept the imperfections brought about by the passage of time.
Open the microwave to heat
Yimiao Wang
Printed photograph
Within the microwave, typically associated with instant gratification, here becomes a doorway into a forgotten world of mindfulness. It invites the viewer to confront the dissonance between a rapidly accelerating society and the slow, deliberate rhythms of cultural heritage. In this reimagined setting, the tea room becomes a form of resistance, challenging the pervasive commodification of time in capitalist structures. As we relentlessly pursue progress and efficiency, what vital aspects of human experience are we leaving behind?
La Casa (I, II)
Sarah Sandoval
Monoprint ink and digital print on cotton rag paper
La Casa (I, II) deconstructs the built environment through a dynamic interplay of abstracted forms. These shapes suggest the continuous transformation inherent in urban spaces, and emphasises the fluidity and constant evolution and change within these environments.
Crashing, Pounding, Sculpting
Yimiao Wang
Printed photography
I utilize photo weaving techniques to explore the intertwining narratives of the profound story of my grandfather’s life. The Sino-Vietnamese War is a chapter of his life marked by unforgettable memories that continue to resonate. After the war, his longing for family led him to decline a promotion and return to family. Each piece in this series juxtaposes a black-and-white photograph from the war with a vibrant color image. My grandfather's existence was shaped by the echoes of his past—a life that sometimes feels like a prison of memories, where he longs to escape yet remains trapped in its confines.
Call for Submission
Temporal Threads: Weaving the Essence of Time
The theme for this exhibition is “Temporal Threads: Weaving the Essence of Time”. We invited artists to explore the intricate relationship between time and art, examining how time influences and revives artistic expression, while also reflecting on how the definition of art itself evolved over time. By contemplating time from multiple perspectives—ranging from the tangible ticking of a clock to the intangible currents of history—the exhibition invited artists to explore how temporal elements shape the creation, perception, and transformation of art.
In short, for the 2024 Fall Talking Walls Exhibition, we asked for an interpretation of time in its various dimensions, ranging from literal to abstract representations.
"Temporal Threads" prompted to illuminate how time can serve as both a canvas and a catalyst, influencing artists to capture fleeting moments or to engage with broader historical narratives. It also questioned whether art, in turn, has the power to prompt historical events or transform social trends. Artists were encouraged to reflect on the dynamic dialogue between time and art, and to consider the ways in which this dialogue continues to evolve in our ever-changing world.
This theme was meant to be interpreted broadly. Examples on how to tackle this theme are conducting a historical study by reviving and reminiscing a particular art movement, historical moment, or period or you can insert the concept of time in a more literal or abstract sense in your artwork.
We invited artists to explore the artwork inspirations and artists shown below as a source of inspiration or a spark to ignite creativity.
Artwork Inspirations
Historical Events & Art Movements
Eugène Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, (28 July 1830), 1830
Francisco Goya, The Third of May 1808 in Madrid or “The Executions", 1814
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
Painted in response to the bombing of Guernica, it is now considered one of the most important anti-war painting in history.
Japonisme Art Movement: Vincent Van Gogh's Japonaiserie
From left to right:
Flowering Plum Tree (after Hiroshige), 1887
Hiroshige, Evening Shower at Atake and the Great Bridge, 1856 - 1858
Vincent Van Gogh, Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige), 1887
Vincent Van Gogh, Portrait of Père Tanguy, 1887
Japonisme is a term that describes the influence of Japanese art, culture, and aesthetics on Western art, particularly in Europe, from the mid-19th century onward. The movement began in France and spread throughout Europe and America, profoundly impacting various art forms, including painting, decorative arts, graphic design, and fashion.
Its key characteristics are asymmetry and composition, Use of Bold Colors, Nature and Everyday Life, Simplification and Abstraction, and Influence on Perspective. Japonisme heavily influences Impressionist, Post-impressionist, and Art Nouveau artists.
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Japonisme was a cultural phenomenon that had lasting impact on Western art and design, challenging artists to rethink their approaches to composition, color, and subject matter, and opening up new avenues of artistic expression.
It is relevant to our theme as Japonisme showcases how the passage of history shapes artistic expression and the great impact this art style had on Western artists in the mid-19th century.
Charlotta Janssen, Freedom Riders & Bus Boycotters Series, 2009 - 2011
From left to right:
Arrested February 21, 1956 in Montgomery, AL: Ida Mae Caldwell, 2009
Arrested February 21, 1956 in Montgomery, AL: Addie J. Hameter, 2009
Arrested February 21, 1956 in Montgomery, AL: Tom Parks, 2009
Charlotta Janssen's series Freedom Riders & Bus Boycotters, painted from 2009 - 2011 features 60 Visceral portraits painted in bright bluish-green hues. After close inspection you'll notice they are mugshots of civil rights activists who rode buses throughout the Jim Crow South, beginning in May 1961, to challenge the federal government's disinterest in ending discrimination.
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Relevant to our theme of capturing the dynamic relationship between time and art, Janssen manages to both commemorate the activists and engage with a broader historical narrative.
Works dealing with time in a literal or abstract sense
Tehching Hsieh,“Time Clock Piece” (One Year Performance 1980-81)
Anish Kapoor, Vantablack Works
Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory, 1931
Walter Tandy Murch, The Clock, 1950
Keith Arnatt, Self-Burial (Television Interference Project), 1969
Interesting fact: One photo was shown each day for about 2 seconds on the West German television (Federal Republic of Germany not to confuse with the German Democratic Republic,DDR/GDR) in 1969 without any explanation.
3D & Sculpture Works
Cildo Meireles, Babel, 2001
Merging the biblical story of the Tower of Babel with modern technology, Babel by Cildo Meireles reflects on the historical significance of religion while also inserting the concept of time in a literal sense. Babel contemplates time from multiple perspectives. A cacophony of mumbling voices from the radios compete with each other culminating in inaccessible voices.
Gedächtnis Kirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church), Berlin, Germany
The Memorial Church is one of Berlin’s most important sights and a prominent remnant and reminder of World War II. Instead of repairing the church tower after it was damaged in a bombing raid in 1943, Berlin decided to keep the ruins of the church. In this part of Berlin, time stands still. The new church , consisting of 5 buildings around the old church, was consecrated in 1961. The new buildings with their distinct blue glass panels have a distinct modern look. The modern buildings surrounding the church seem to threaten to overtake the old ruins. However, the eyes are fixated to the remnants of the tower in the center. The new can’t erase the old, threads of time weave around the monument.
House of Peace in Gamcheon-dong, Busan Cultural Village, South Korea
The House of Peace in Gamcheon-dong was formed after the Korean War. The cultural village, where refugees settled during the war, is a place of memories using art to transform painful reminders into a beautiful place. The House of peace is an example of the dynamic dialogue between time and art. Writings on the wall from visitors wish for peace and human co-prosperity.
Art Donovan, Shiva Mandala, 2009