MC Cruz

“The pieces connect to the theme of “Unusual Spaces” by entering into the perspective of a "newcomer" in Canada. When one is forced to leave behind the ancestral homeland in search of a safe haven everywhere is an "unusual space". Even the mind is an unusual space since you are still full of memories of what was left behind. You can still see, hear, smell and feel what your ancestral home was like while you try to navigate a completely new and foreign place. Sometimes the safe haven doesn't feel entirely safe. Sometimes there is culture shock, depression, post traumatic stress disorder and other issues to deal with in the new "home". Now that the Corona virus pandemic has affected us all on a global scale, maybe now we can understand a little of what it's like to be a stranger in a strange land. The more recent paintings explore what it is to live in a world with this "new normal".”

Pick and choose what sounds to hear while you view the artwork.

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL VIEWING:
”Feeling Alone, Invisible in the City” (short animated film)
https://youtu.be/BsX_2SI_Qnk

All artwork by Maria Christina Cruz
https://localeopardlady.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @localeopardlady
Instagram: @aisha_amcic
YouTube channel: Loca Leopard Lady TV

M.C Cruz a.k.a Chris is a child of Chilean immigrants. Who was born, raised and currently based in Toronto but has also lived  two years in Chile and more recently did an Artist Residency in Morocco. They attended Etobicoke School of Arts and majored in Visual Arts before moving to Vancouver to study film and video production at Capilano University. They facilitated filmmaking workshops for marginalized communities as part of Fright Film Academy and  Fright Film School. They have written, directed and produced several live action and animated short films including “Vampyric PSA”, “La Llorona” and “Root Causes”. "Root Causes" screened at Rendezvous with Madness film festival with a special invitation to be part of the filmmakers panel. It has also screened at OCAD for a special preview screening by Artist Health Alliance.

Their painting series "Refuge From Home"  has been showcased at the University of Toronto and Toronto City Hall this past October 2019. It is currently being shown at TMAC and virtually (due to the pandemic) as part of the juried art exhibition "Being Scene" by Workman Arts. 

Their goal is to keep on creating art that challenges the status quo and telling stories with meaning and passion.