Eric Fong
Eric Fong is an up-and-coming artist and is currently an art student a the University of Toronto, who has always had a passion for history and a keen eye to seek inspiration from bygone eras. Eric's art transcends mere brushstrokes, delving deep into the intricate layers of the past with the help of Toronto archival imagery and research. His work seeks to explore the rich tapestry of local histories and cultural anecdotes to ensure the lesser known stories are not forgotten. Through his work, he not only preserves the memories of the past but also celebrates the diversity and resilience of human experience.
Eric Fong is an up-and-coming artist and is currently an art student a the University of Toronto, who has always had a passion for history and a keen eye to seek inspiration from bygone eras. Eric's art transcends mere brushstrokes, delving deep into the intricate layers of the past with the help of Toronto archival imagery and research. His work seeks to explore the rich tapestry of local histories and cultural anecdotes to ensure the lesser known stories are not forgotten. Through his work, he not only preserves the memories of the past but also celebrates the diversity and resilience of human experience.
$600.00
Acrylic on canvas.
24x48"
Telling the story of the ward- Toronto’s first immigrant neighbourhood. Chinese immigrants centred their community around Elizabeth street in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the present site of Toronto’s city hall. In the late 1950s, the city deemed the area a slum and demolished it in preparation to build the new civic complex. Recent archaeological digs revealed surprising elements of the storied past of the neighbourhood.
$600.00
Acrylic and letraset on wood panel.
24x36"
This work explores Letraset, sheets of dry transfer typeface made popular in the 1960s and 1970s attributed to affordability, availability and do-it-yourself ease of use. It was prolific among small publishing operations that had little means of production. Early LGBTQ+ publications made great use of Letraset in absence of more sophisticated layout technologies. Exploration of the use of Letraset among earliest members of The Body Politic in Toronto, and its role in producing one of the first gay publications of its time inspired this painting if some of the earliest landmarks associated with production, overlaid with the transfers themselves.