As a development organization committed to creating innovative urban lifestyles, Metroview is set to make a major impact on the Toronto skyline. With this in mind it seemed fitting to pay homage to this city’s horizon in a creative and memorable way, on the walls of Metroview’s head office.
As part of Metroview’s ongoing commitment to working with the city’s best talent, the company partnered with Sumartist, a professional commission artist, who experiments with an unrestricted array of mediums to create thoughtful new perspectives in each of his pieces, and to dynamically reflect the “Sum of all artists” in his works.
We spoke with Sumartist to learn more about his craft and his custom creation for Metroview entitled “City Night Lights.”
Watch Sumartist create “City Night Lights” at Metroview’s head office
How would you describe “City Night Lights” to someone who hasn’t seen it? What materials, colours and techniques did you use?
SUMARTIST: To create “City Night Lights” I used acrylic on drywall with a single stroke brush. The image of the Toronto skyline was not intended to be verbatim but was intended to give an impressionistic view of the lights coming off each building in the skyline. I wanted to create a simplistic, yet authentic, piece that would aesthetically engage the office, in something less defined, more creative, and still be recognizable as an image of the city.
Can you describe your creative process in designing the mural?
S: My process was very simple. I would take cues from the visual structure of each building and give a different pattern to each building respectively based on how I felt the light was emitted from each structure. And then, for continuity, I attempted to design each accordingly.
What is the message or feeling you’d like viewers of this mural to come away with?
S: I’d like this mural to invoke a feeling of home in the viewers as well as creative difference. Not formatted, not specific, just creative and interestingly unique.
What’s your favourite building on the Toronto skyline? In your opinion, how does Toronto’s skyline compare to those of other cities?
S: My favourite building on the skyline is absolutely the Rogers Centre (SkyDome). I believe it is the anchor of the view, and a very quirky detail that makes us unique. Each major city built on a body of water will always have a particular skyline that is essentially that city’s fingerprint. I’m always going to be exceptionally bias, just as I assume anyone from their respective city would be. Toronto is home and seeing our skyline gives me nothing but comfort.
Sumartist’s paintings, sculptures and installations can be seen at permanent locations all over the city (including Fran’s Upperdeck, Sicilian Sidewalk Cafe, Nomads Restobar, BMO in Stackt Market, Come see me, 905Ink and Graffiti Alley) and more recently his new mural at Savvy Bistro in Brooklyn, NY and Da’Vine Wine and Sushi on Harbor Island, Bahamas. Later this year, he will showcase his body of work at his first solo show. You can see more of his art on Instagram @sumartist.
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