3 Women Artists Who Inspire at Pearson
For decades, Toronto Pearson Airport’s curated art program has enlivened the experience of the thousands of travellers passing through our terminals each day. In our midst, you’ll find work from a range of Canadian and international artists — a celebration of diverse voices and perspectives. Here are just three of the talented women artists whose work you can admire at Pearson.
Ingeborg Jürgensen Hiscox
The work: Skyward
Materials: Acrylic and oil paint on wood
About the Artist: Quebec-based multi-media artist Ingeborg Jürgenson Hiscox finds inspiration all around, expressed in clay, prints, collages, and paintings. “Inspiration for my work,” she says, “comes from my family, from human interactions, from news items, from emotions experienced or observed that want to be expressed. Nature in all forms also plays a large part in my work.” In Skyward, Hiscox draws on the invention and wonder of flight and flying machines. “It reflects nature and knowledge, the journey from idea to achievement, in this instance from aerodynamic formulas written on blackboards to airborne machines.”
Spot it: Terminal 1, Domestic, Departures
Rebecca Baird
The work: Open Sky
Materials: Acrylic on canvas
About the artist: Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Cree/Metis artist Rebecca Baird’s artwork explores themes of Indigenous identity, history, and culture through painting, sculpture and installation. Her painting, Open Sky, was commissioned by Toronto Pearson in 2001. She says, “the images used in the mural—among them the eagle, constellations, earth and sky—are all eternal and specific, accessible to all human ages and origins.” You’ll also find Baird’s works in the collections of the Canada Council’s Art Bank, the Museum of Civilization, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the Canadian Embassy in Geneva.
Spot it: Terminal 1, Pier D Level 1
Elizabeth D'Agostino
The works: Escape From the Land of The Wandering, Episode II
Materials: Etching, photoetching, and screenprinting on Gampi tissue
About the artist: Elizabeth D’Agostino is a multi-disciplinary Canadian artist whose work in print media, sculpture, and installation have been exhibited across Canada and around the world. Her work often explores issues of biodiversity, climate change, and urban growth. “I’m an avid collector of things and objects, often rearranging them into compartments,” says D’Agostino. “I often draw inspiration from 19th-century natural history collections, scientific and botanical illustrations, as well as drawing from the urban Canadian landscape.” In 2015, D’Agostino was selected by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada to create a custom carpet design for the newly renovated Canada House in London, England.
Spot it: Terminal 1, Transborder
