Artist paints colourful murals on Etobicoke underpass

Two colourful murals at the Royal York Road underpass north of Dundas Street West that depict the history of Humber Valley Village were unveiled Sept. 19 by StreetARToronto (StART), a program of the Transportation Services’ Public Realm Section that supports and promotes street art. The murals were created by Etobicoke resident and artist, Emilia Jajus.

YPnexthome caught up with Jajus to find out about the project and the inspiration behind her work.

YPNexthome: How did you come to be the artist involved in doing these murals?

Jajus: StreetARToronto has a roster of artists who qualify for projects of this scale. I was shortlisted with two other artists and competed. Our designs were displayed at Humbertown Plaza for the public to provide feedback. Afterwards, the jury made the final decision.

YPNexthome: Do you live in Etobicoke?

Jajus: Yes, I have lived in Etobicoke for over 17 years. Most of my family and friends live here. Etobicoke is my home. When I was first married, [my husband] Arek and I lived within walking distance from the Royal York and Dundas underpass.

YPNexthome: How did you decide on the themes of your murals?

Jajus: I conducted extensive research of the area surrounding the mural site. Living in the community helped me a lot. I researched online and visited local landmarks. I learned that the local community appreciated the historic background of the area. Robert Home Smith was a financier and visionary who wanted to create "A Bit of England Far from England". He was behind the restoration of the Old Mill, and the bridge next to it, as well as the style of houses in The Kingsway and Humber Valley Village. The West wall portrays a collage of Dundas Street West, Bloor Street and Royal York Road with important landmarks such as The Kingsway Theatre, Montgomery's Inn, James Gardens Park and even Humbertown Plaza… The diversity in the mural was very well received by the community. One older lady (caucasian) said she originally came from a small town in B.C. but she moved to Toronto because she wanted to see diversity and she was happy to see it reflected in the mural.

YPNexthome: How long did it take you to complete the murals?

Jajus: The work started on June 1 and was completed before the Labour Day weekend. I had three assistants, Emanuel Ciobanica, De Anne Lamirande and Sara Sader.

YPNexthome: What do you hope the public will take away when they see your artwork?

Jajus: My objective for this project was "for the community to see themselves in the mural". I had many great experiences with the public while painting the mural. This is my favourite one: On the east wall, there is a fisherman by the Old Mill bridge. Two days after sketching him, I received an email from a total stranger who asked me to send him a photo reference. I asked him what was his concern. He responded that last year he was fishing by that bridge and he remembered that someone took pictures of him. He believed it must have been me and that I used a photo of him, since the image in the mural looked just like him. I said I was sorry to disappoint him, but the model was actually my husband... But I thanked him for providing evidence that my objective had been reached!