Through his highly creative artwork, Jacub Gagnon tells us a story that can be seen as both sweet or disturbing – a showcase of how humans manipulate and borrow from nature. A recent graduate from Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), Gagnon is regarded as one of Toronto’s great emerging contemporary artists.
“The only way a kid can survive life in a small rural town is through imagination,” says Gagnon. “That’s what I used to think. Many years later I moved to a big city, grew up, studied art, and graduated. I can now see that an imagination is essential no matter what the scenery is and no matter at what age.
“Currently practicing as an artist in Toronto, I create images that question and entertain the discussion of connectivity. Within the stage that is my canvas, I present animals and objects in bizarre manners, placing them in scenes that oppose practicality. My paintings become a space in which nature becomes unnatural, bordering surreal.”
