We are featuring a selection of notecards from Toronto artist Gordon Shadrack.
"Since childhood, I have had a lifelong fascination with the semiotics of clothing and its impact on culture. In particular, my interest lies in the intersection and codification of race and fashion. These codes impact the way we navigate through spaces and influence how people associate with one another. Statements like “dress for success” and “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” reinforce the notion that clothing reflects the character and value of a human being. This concept is steeped in colonial expectations which have systematically worked to develop prejudicial values that impact marginalized communities.
These prejudices and stereotypes have impacted me personally which is why I mostly paint Black men. My portraits of these men utilize fashion—contemporary or historical dress, or a combination of both—in order to create narratives and explore allegories which pull viewers in to explore the biases embedded in North American culture. In creating backgrounds, I choose to use a selective palette that demonstrates that dark colours elevate the presence of my sitters rather than diminish them."
About the Artist
Gordon Shadrach, is a Toronto-based portrait artist and installation creator. Starting his artistic journey in 2013, he specializes in oil paintings and textile-based installations since 2020. With a B. Des. (MAAD) from OCAD University and a Master's from Niagara University, Gordon has exhibited in solo and group shows in Canada and the U.S.
Gordon’s community engagement includes working with Toronto’s Nia Centre for the Arts as a creative consultant for their Left of Centre artist incubation project. He is also working with Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstill, Dean of Design at OCADU, as a team member to develop and implement the Black Youth Design Initiative (BYDI) which aims to engage Black youth by decolonizing design and addressing the systemic anti-Black racism that impedes Black communities from pursuing education in design.