EMERGING ARTISTS
Jamii's
RBC Emerging Artist Program
GILLIAN MAPP,
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
LEARNING EXPERIENCE WITH JAMII
Through the RBC Emerging Artist project: I created a new body of work and presented my first solo exhibition titled Journey From… a photo and audio exhibit featuring the stories of 7 immigrant women, accompanied by intergenerational conversations with their children about the journey to Canada and their unique experiences. This project allowed for mentorship, which was a huge proponent for the evolution of my work, and allowed me to explore and expand on the kind of work I love to do: storytelling.
The support from Jamii’s team was an incredible resource and provided me with the necessary tools, like audio recording equipment and studio space, to create this work. Also, working with Jamii - a hub for Esplanadians - allowed me to tap into the community they have built and focus this exhibit on sharing the stories of members of The Esplanade. This collection of stories is now a part of the community's history.
Collaborating with Jamii, also brought me to Pikangikum First Nations community, to curate and produce a video project that invited its residents to record their intimate stories. We met with interested community members, and recorded interviews with them that we edited into short videos that share insight on who they are, and what their community [Pikangikum] means to them.
The key thread in both of these projects is the importance of highlighting stories that usually go untold. I’m grateful to have been able to foster the development and completion of both these projects.
GILLIAN MAPP:
I started seeing images early on when I was younger, way before I even held a camera to conspire to make images I’d use my eyes to capture moments and make them permanent treasures in my mind’s eye. Back then, I saw the importance of documenting my story because it was clear that no one else would do it for me. The importance of recording history was instilled by my mothers determination to document every moment of our childhood. I remember every trip we made to drop off film roles, and patiently waiting for their development to reveal what she had captured. Since then, I’ve made photography a way to record history in an effort to change the way people see and remember the world. My photography is grounded in showcasing the beauty in the moments and people around me, and bringing untold stories to the forefront.
My work includes portraiture, editorial and documentary style stills, and more recently film (motion).
FUNDERS:
