Bessy Lustiva-Espina
Bessy Lustiva-Espina’s life is marked by her family’s movements within the Philippines and eventually Canada. Her photography documents a journey through many hometowns and explores the relationship between people and the outdoor spaces they’re most
familiar with. Her work has been featured in The Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto, Circe Magazine in Edmonton, and Blank Space Gallery in Athens, Greece. Bessy is a member of Gallery 44 in Toronto. She is also a travel nurse who specializes in mental health care. She currently works in British Columbia.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Down By The Water is series of photographs taken during Bessy's cycling excursions along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail on Lake Ontario. Bessy rode the length of the western leg of the trail from Toronto to Niagara Falls on the weekends, from October to December 2023. The rides revealed the different roles that Lake Ontario play to the cities along its shores, and, subsequently, the way its citizens interact with the lake. Down By The Water reveals the changes in Bessy's conception of her hometown, Toronto, as she rides further away from it.
Bessy Lustiva-Espina’s life is marked by her family’s movements within the Philippines and eventually Canada. Her photography documents a journey through many hometowns and explores the relationship between people and the outdoor spaces they’re most
familiar with. Her work has been featured in The Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto, Circe Magazine in Edmonton, and Blank Space Gallery in Athens, Greece. Bessy is a member of Gallery 44 in Toronto. She is also a travel nurse who specializes in mental health care. She currently works in British Columbia.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Down By The Water is series of photographs taken during Bessy's cycling excursions along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail on Lake Ontario. Bessy rode the length of the western leg of the trail from Toronto to Niagara Falls on the weekends, from October to December 2023. The rides revealed the different roles that Lake Ontario play to the cities along its shores, and, subsequently, the way its citizens interact with the lake. Down By The Water reveals the changes in Bessy's conception of her hometown, Toronto, as she rides further away from it.
