Voices of Canada Gallery
HunyahTravels
Age 29, She / Her | Ontario, Canada
" Hi. I am a blogger, Youtuber of Hunyah Travels and artist. I have a show called The Hunyah Show. My show speaks about community awareness and different topics. This is one of the things I do. These pictures are from some of the episodes of The Hunyah Show. "
Youtube HunyahTravels | Tik Tok HunyahTravels1
Instagram @HunyahTravels @TheHunyahShow @Hunyah08
Mary J.
Age 16, She / Her | Alberta, Canada
" The first piece of artwork I made is four sides of a fruit. I wanted it to represent the fact that everyone is different and special in their own ways like if they are a person of color.
Even though we are all different, we should still accept each other because from our DNA to the tiny molecules, we are basically the same. I want to help change the way people see others, so that there is less racism and discrimination. Through my art, I hope that others will learn more about the injustices in our society and do something about it! The other piece of artwork is earth on fire.
I think that our society has definitely changed and become more modern, but not in a good way. The technology we have now is damaging the earth whether it's pollution of any sort. The question is, why can't humans just stop doing it? Well, it's cheaper, they are most likely thinking about themselves, they know that they will most likely still be able to live and die while the world would be the same, but what about the future generations?
If we don't change what we are doing right now, the chance will disappear out of our hands. "
Cil
Age 20, She / Her | Alberta, Canada
" My artwork is connected to SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
This goal, Life on Land, resonates with me as I'm passionate about environmental justice and how it intersects with other forms of justice/SDGs.
I'm a Black Immigrant located on Treaty 6 territory, and I've been pondering how I could respect and honour the land I live on and its Indigenous communities. In a climate crisis, we must amplify the voices of Indigenous leaders and knowledge holders who have a profound and sacred relationship with the land.
I took the pictures in my artwork during a summer road trip across the prairies. It inspired me to imagine a world where we (from the individual to the institutional level) can protect and restore the land we are on. For now, it seems like a dream, but I hope we can make it a reality before it is too late. "
Filmsbyjanice
Age 16, She / Her | Ontario, Canada
" The video edit I have created is connected to the LGBTQ+ community. With this edit, I aim to acknowledge other forms of equality. Like race and gender, sexuality is essential in our society.
Accepting it prevents targeted violence and makes our societies safer and healthier for everyone. Moreover, awareness helps raise and improve mutual understanding.
As a person on social media, I often see positive and negative comments. The edit I made is aimed at the homophobic comments. After reading such comments, I feel disappointed with those close-minded individuals.
I believe the LGBTQ+ community is normal and should be accepted. We should honour everyone as we are all valid!"
Instagram @filmbyjanice
Sophia
Age 16, She / Her | Ontario, Canada
" I created an art piece in regards to gender equality. My inspiration came from International Women's day, as it just passed.
I believe that it would be beneficial for more people to be aware of gender equality and treat everyone equally. The idea of placing men and women on a balance scale came to mind as it very much represents equality; both sides are equally weighted without any bias.
When others view my piece, I hope that it will remind them of this existing issue and raise their awareness about it. My goal is to inspire other individuals and influence them to take action in the mission of fighting against the injustices in our society.
"
Instagram @sophia._.xiao
EAL
Age 21, She / Her | Alberta, Canada
"I am a Peruvian-Canadian woman, and have lived in Alberta my whole life. I grew up in communities where whiteness was the norm and being different meant being lesser.
I learned to hide my Peruvian heritage from a young age, as I was constantly bullied for my ‘weird’ school lunches, ‘funny’ clothes, and tendency to speak in Spanish. Being half White meant that I could still fit in with a little effort, but I still felt like an outsider. And fitting in came with a cost.
Speaking Spanish was a way for me to stay connected with my family back in Peru, but as I spent more time hiding my Spanish, I began to lose it. At the time when I created this piece, I was attempting to reaffirm my identity as a Peruvian and relearn my mother tongue, but I could only remember a handful of words and phrases.
This self-portrait represents the emptiness and shame I felt at abandoning my heritage, and sparked my desire to reconnect with my roots. I have grown a lot since that point, but I am still on a journey to relearn my Spanish and accept my full identity.
"
