Olivia Aguiar
artist Bio

Olivia Aguiar

Olivia Aguiar is an emerging artist and arts worker born, raised, and working in Tkaronto. Olivia's practice is interdisciplinary, specializing in painting, digital media, and community engagement. She recently graduated from OCAD University, holding a BFA in Drawing and Painting and a minor in Gender and Sexuality (2023). Her recent shows include In the Church of My Heart, the Choir is in Flames at Remote Gallery (2024), and Lithify at Red Head Gallery (2023). Olivia is currently an Arts Instructor at the Clark Centre for the Arts and a Curatorial Assistant at Oakville Galleries.

lite-brite

Artwork statement

The inspiration behind my Lite-Brite comes from my childhood quilt. As a young child, I had a pink and blue quilt that was made for me by my great-grandmother. I admired the quilt's patterns and colours and felt comforted by its presence. As I grew into my early adolescence, the quilt became a backdrop for my creativity; I would sit on my bed or sprawl the quilt along my bedroom floor with my multi-coloured papers and crayons and sit for hours making drawings or paper dolls. This Lite-Brite is a tiny ode to the pattern that was the backdrop of my childhood imagination, a reminder of the seeds that preceded my everlasting love for creating.