Lisa Vanin’s multi-paneled painting asks us to look at our city not as a space for humans but as a shared and diverse urban landscape for many life forms, raising awareness of our coexistence.
Artist Statement
Title: Toronto Biotope
Beyond being an elaborate ecosystem packed with life, Toronto also exists as its own unique biotope: a special section of the world, with its own distinctive and biodiverse landscapes.
This city is home to an almost endless amount of plants and animals, most of which many Torontonians are completely unaware of. This piece asks us to look at our city not as a space for humans, but as a shared and diverse urban landscape for many
life forms, including ourselves.
A few familiar plants and animals will be noted in this painting; however, this piece specifically focuses on species that most of us do to not always encounter daily. These species range from endangered to invasive — and all work together and against each other to create our unique biotope.
This piece implores viewers to begin to notice these plants and animals within our city, with hopes of raising awareness of our coexistence. Toronto Biotope expresses that we are all part of the same ecosystem.
– Lisa Vanin
About the Artist
Lisa Vanin is an artist and illustrator inspired by the landscapes, plants and animals that she come across on her travels. She creates concepts, imagery and objects based on her own life experiences and inspirations.
Even when she’s not working on The Living City® exhibit, Lisa’s subject matter usually includes nature — and how humans interact with nature.
Lisa describes her work style as “decorating the lush world that my characters live in with colourful patterns and intensively detailed yet simplified settings, reminiscent of old folk art, but with a contemporary edge. I think of my paintings as decorated sets where my characters live.”
Project Collaborators
Dave Ireland, Managing Director, Centre of Discovery in Biodiversity, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
The biodiversity team at the ROM