LunarFest GTA will continue showing six artistic lanterns in the Varley Art Gallery Courtyard (216 Main Street Unionville in Markham) through the weekend. These large shimmering cylinders have been on display since January 25 to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Snake. The final day for a selfie—or any other photography—is on Sunday (February 16).
Above, you can see the artwork for three of these lanterns.
The festival describes Toronto interdisciplinary artist Aryan Malikli’s <i>Kaleidoscopic Symphony</i> as “a symmetrical composition that evokes the fluidity and energy of a living organism”.
“Each segment mirrors the other, creating a kaleidoscopic effect that invites introspection and wonder,” LunarFest GTA states. “The flowing curves, bold colors, and dynamic shapes in the design mirror intuitive, snake-like movement through varied terrains. Each unique element comes together to illustrate the beauty of diversity.”
Brent Hardistry – Niiwin Binesi drew upon his Ojibway culture with <i>Medicine Serpent Shows Its Power</i>. According to the festival, serpents or snakes have a power known as “Mshkiki – Medicine”, which conveys a magical quality to draw upon powers from other worlds.
“Knowledge and wisdom are crucial to be able to use said power in a good way, without harming oneself.”
The third design above is Toronto multidisciplinary illustrator, muralist, designer, and artist Daria Domnikova’s <i>Intertwined</i>.
“This artwork is a reflection on our interdependency – just like nothing in our environment exists in a vacuum, so do we exist in close connection to each other. Just like the two pictured,” LunarFest GTA states. “Snakes start and end with one another, the ‘I’ and ‘WE’ are inseparable. Intertwined emphasizes the need to fortify and foster our ability to rely on each other in order to build sustainable, diverse communities that flourish.”
Event details
For more information on LunarFest GTA, visit the website. The Toronto Spark is on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social. Follow the Toronto Spark on X @TOSparkOfficial.
