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Aquil Virani

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Aquil Virani
Virani in 2019
Born
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
EducationBachelor of Arts, McGill University
OccupationArtist
Websiteaquil.ca

Aquil Virani is a Canadian artist, who was born in British Columbia and is currently based in Toronto.[1] He is best known for his community-engaged art projects that explore social issues and often combine public participation and figurative portraiture.[1][2][3] His work includes painting, graphic design, illustration, filmmaking, writing and participatory art events.[4][5][6]

Early life

Virani grew up in Surrey, British Columbia to immigrant parents and is the youngest of four sons.[4][7][8] His mother was born in France, and his father is a Ismaili Muslim of Indian heritage who was born and raised in East Africa, immigrating to Canada from Tanzania.[4][7] Virani graduated from Southridge Secondary School in 2008,[9] before completing his undergraduate degree at McGill University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Marketing[7] after first studying math and physics.[4] Virani is a self-taught artist and worked at L’Oréal Canada for several years, while moonlighting as an artist, before becoming self-employed in 2014.[4][7]

Career

In 2012, Virani had a solo art exhibit at McGill University, entitled "Copycat", where he combined hundreds of participant drawings that were reproduced ‘live’ onto a collaborative painting over the course of different events.[9]

In 2014, Virani and Rebecca Jones traveled across Canada to collect stories and drawings for a project entitled "Canada's Self Portrait."[10][11][12] The project was partially crowdfunded and received over 800 responses. It was later exhibited at the Galerie Mile End in Montreal[13][6][14] and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax.[15][16]

For his 24th birthday, Virani created 24 original works of art in the 24 hours leading up to his birthday.[17]

In 2017, Virani received a grant from the Silk Road Institute's Combating Hate, Advancing Inclusion (CHAI) digital video arts initiative for his project, "Postering Peace".[7] In 2017, at a Montreal vigil in the aftermath of the Quebec City mosque shooting, Virani also had attendees contribute to a "live painting", where they could write messages over his depiction of Muslim hands in prayer.[18][19] The painting was sent as a gift to the Islamic cultural centre in Sainte-Foy.[18]

In 2017, Virani started a series of portraits of inspiring women for his "CelebrateHer" project, which included portraits of Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Doris Bill as well as Ta'an Kwäch'än Council Chief Kristina Kane.[3][20] The project was unveiled in a series of art exhibits in Montreal, including one at McGill University.[3][21]

In 2018, Virani won the "Artist for Peace" Award.[3]

In 2020, Virani received a $5,000 Canada Council Digital Originals grant.[22]

For his 30th birthday in 2021, Virani mailed 30 letters to people who had inspired him in some way for his “30 letters” project,[5][4] which was the focus of an episode of The Doc Project.[23] This included his childhood martial arts instructor, a friend's mother, Roberto Luongo, Ron Maclean, Kent Monkman, among others.[5] He received responses from "about a dozen" people.[5]

In 2021, he designed and produced a bilingual art anthology of Ottawa-based Muslim artists and writers called “Ottawa Inshallah” with the theme, “Ottawa Inshallah: Dreaming of a better future” with financial support from the City of Ottawa.[24][25][26]

In 2021, he was also named “Artist-in-Residence” at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.[27][28] At the end of his residency at the museum in 2022, he unveiled a collaborative animated film, a series of six participatory visual artworks, and a book compiling 100 immigrant stories submitted from participants across the country.[29][30][31]

In 2022, Virani also unveiled six commemorative portraits of the victims of the Quebec City mosque shooting, created in accordance with the wishes of the victims’ families.[32][1] The artworks, measuring 30 x 65 inches each, were shipped to the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec to be exhibited for the 5th anniversary commemoration of the attack on January 29, 2022, before being gifted directly to the families.[33][34][2]

Personal life

Virani is an Ismaili Muslim.[4][7] He also identifies as a feminist.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Attentat de la grande mosquée de Québec | Aquil Virani rend hommage aux victimes". La Presse (in French). 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  2. ^ a b MacLellan, Ainslie (January 29, 2022). "Portraits honour Quebec mosque shooting victims, as community marks 5th anniversary of attack". CBC News. Retrieved February 2, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b c d "Aquil Virani célèbre la diversité des femmes". La Presse (in French). 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2021-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Ottawa artist writes 30 letters to mark his 30th birthday". Ottawa Citizen.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b c d "This artist wrote 30 thank-you letters for his 30th birthday, some to complete strangers". CBC Radio.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b "De l'art comme outil pacifiste au MBAM". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 2021-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Daigle, Chelby. "Postering Peace: An Interview with Visual Artist Aquil Virani". muslimlink.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  8. ^ Feireisen, Camille (January 29, 2022). "" On ne vous oubliera pas " : les portraits des victimes de l'attentat de Québec exposés". Ici Radio-Canada Télé (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  9. ^ a b "Southridge grad solos with McGill exhibit". Peace Arch News. 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  10. ^ "Our Home and Creative Land: Canada's self-portrait". CTV News Winnipeg. 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2021-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "Winnipeggers wanted for national art project". CBC Winnipeg.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Un Vancouvérois traverse le Canada pour le dessiner | Boulevard du Pacifique". Ici Radio-Canada Première. Retrieved 2021-04-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Crowdsourced art on Canadian identity". Canadian Geographic. 2015-07-27. Retrieved 2021-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Esquisse de l'identité canadienne". La Presse (in French). 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2021-04-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Mullin, Morgan. "Consider your Canada at Pier 21". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  16. ^ "Temporary Exhibits | Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21". pier21.ca. Retrieved 2021-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "Montreal artist creates 24 pieces in 24 hours". CBC News.
  18. ^ a b "Canada wraps its arms around victims of mosque attack". CBC Montreal.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "The Quebec City mosque attack: What we know so far". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-03-25.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "Yukon chiefs' personalities 'shine through' in colourful paintings". Yahoo! Canada. Retrieved 2021-03-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "CelebrateHer: Twelve inspiring, everyday women". Global News. Retrieved 2021-04-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Canada Council Digital Originals supports artists with $5,000 pandemic relief grants". CBC Arts.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ "A 30th birthday, and advice to your 30-year-old self". CBC Radio.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "A new art anthology features work from local Muslim artists and reflects on possible futures – Apartment613". apt613.ca. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  25. ^ Harewood, Adrian (October 8, 2021). "CBC Ottawa News at 6: October 8, 2021". CBC Ottawa. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  26. ^ Sharma, Anchal (November 7, 2021). "Local Muslim artists, writers dream of a better future in new art anthology". CBC. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  27. ^ "Sharing stories through art". CTV Atlantic. 2021-08-09. Retrieved 2021-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "About the Artist-in-Residence Program | Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21". pier21.ca. Retrieved 2021-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ "Rattrapage du samedi 26 février 2022". ici.radio-canada.ca (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  30. ^ "Immigrant Heroes and the Art of Everyday Activism | Pier 21". pier21.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  31. ^ Almeida, Ana (2022-03-11). "Artist Aquil Virani on his collaborative project". CTV Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  32. ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Société-. "Un artiste rend hommage aux victimes de la grande mosquée". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  33. ^ Francis, Angelyn (2022-01-28). "'Show them as people': Portraits of Quebec mosque shooting victims mark tragedy's fifth anniversary". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  34. ^ Beauchemin, Genevieve (2022-01-29). "Portrait series honours victims of Quebec mosque shooting". CTV News. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
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