Sami McKay is a Canadian mixed-media artist and writer based in Toronto, Ontario. Her work explores themes including existentialism, identity, human connection and disconnection, curiosity, and the emotional complexities of the human experience. In addition to her visual art practice, McKay publishes essays and poetry. Her poem The Tapestry was shortlisted for the 2024 Montreal International Poetry Prize.

Career

McKay was raised in a family of painters, writers, and musicians, an environment she has credited with fostering her interest in creative practice from an early age. She experimented with a range of artistic media before focusing on mixed-media art.

Her practice combines painting, collage, textiles, found objects, and sculptural elements. According to McKay, many of her works begin with an intuitive exploration of materials rather than a predetermined narrative, with meaning developing throughout the creative process.

Alongside her visual art, McKay publishes essays and poetry through her website. Her writing frequently addresses creativity, philosophy, emotional experience, and the artistic process.

Artistic style

McKay works primarily in mixed media, incorporating painting, collage, textiles, sewing, found objects, and sculptural materials. Mirrors, lace, plush fabric, metal hardware, natural fibers, and reclaimed objects frequently appear in her work, often serving both formal and symbolic functions.

Her work is characterized by symbolic imagery, abstraction, and layered compositions. Recurring themes include identity, mortality, vulnerability, courage, resilience, and humanity's relationship with the natural world.

McKay has stated that she approaches each work primarily through experimentation with materials, allowing narrative and symbolism to emerge during the creative process rather than establishing a fixed concept beforehand. She has also described touch and materiality as important aspects of her work, arguing that physical materials can influence viewers' emotional responses.

Advocacy

McKay has participated in initiatives related to food justice, food sovereignty, and environmental sustainability. Her work has promoted equitable access to food, local food systems, and environmental stewardship. These interests have also informed aspects of her artistic practice, particularly her exploration of interconnectedness, resilience, and humanity's relationship with the natural environment.

External links

• Official website

• Inside Halton Young Environmentalists Gift to the city

• The Cultist Magazine