November 13, 2025 – January 18, 2026
‘Loops, Layers, Shapes & Shadows’: a group exhibition
In Loops, Layers, Shapes and Shadows, four artists – David Brown, Heejung Shin, Laurie Skantzos, and Michael Stecky – gather at a point of creative departure. Each has stepped beyond the familiar territory of their established practice, venturing into spaces of experimentation and discovery. Together, they invite us to consider not only what is made, but how and why—and what happens when the act of making itself becomes a form of renewal.
Across paint, paper, plywood, beeswax, and reclaimed materials, these artists are united by a willingness to challenge their habitual methods and embrace uncertainty. In doing so, they remind us that it is never too late to explore, play, and find new ways of doing. Their works become both artefacts and evidence—traces of process, of curiosity, of the courage to wander beyond the comfort zone.
Transformation lies at the heart of this exhibition. Skantzos reconfigures the discarded into the refined, finding sculptural beauty in the overlooked. Brown folds, layers, and reshapes the human form into rhythmic geometries. Stecky reinterprets the pulse of music through painted puzzle fragments, translating sound into visual rhythm. Shin deconstructs and reassembles traditional Hanji paper, honouring cultural memory while creating something distinctly contemporary.
Through each artist’s process, raw material becomes a metaphor for change—revealing how meaning emerges through making. Together, their works resonate with a shared sense of evolution and creative risk, reflecting the joy, tension, and possibility inherent in the artistic process itself.
This exhibition, ultimately, is an exhibition about transformation: of materials, of methods, and perhaps most profoundly, of the artists themselves.
As the viewer moves through the space, consider the ways in which you, too, engage with process, material, and transformation. Where in your own life are you following routine—repeating old patterns—and where might you step beyond what feels familiar? Each artwork here is a record of exploration, an experiment in trusting process over outcome. What might unfold if you allowed yourself that same permission—to play, to take risks, to begin again?
The creative act is not limited to the studio. It is present in how we live, rebuild, reimagine, and make meaning every day.
An opening reception will be held on Sunday November 16th from 2-4PM. More details can be found here.
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David Brown
Toronto, Ontario
www.ArtistDavidBrown.comMedium: Paper, Cardboard, Beeswax & Pigment
Process: Life Drawing, Folding, Geometric Abstraction
David Brown’s work challenges traditional notions of the human figure by transforming stylized sketches into contemporary architectural sculptures. His multi-step process of printing, cropping, folding, and layering manifests into three-dimensional creations that offer a modern and dynamic portrayal of the human figure, presented in fractured geometric forms that evoke fluid motion and dynamic energy. The work invites viewers to embark on a thought-provoking journey of artistic discovery and exploration by bridging the gap between observation and interpretation.
A graduate of OCAD University, David Brown has built a distinguished 30-year career in art and design, earning awards for his work in typography, product design, and fine art. He has exhibited widely across Canada and the U.S., including a solo show at The Painting Center in New York. As founder of SpeakEasy Events and the Five Star collective, Brown has fostered creative collaboration and opportunities for artists internationally. His work is held in private and corporate collections across North America, Europe, and Asia.
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Heejung Shin
Toronto, Ontario
www.heejungshin.comMedium: Hanji Paper, Paint
Process: Painting, Deconstruction, ReassemblyHeejung Shin’s practice revolves around the traditional Korean paper, Hanji, which she paints on before deconstructing and reassembling the paper into intricate, layered compositions. Shin’s work draws on the ancient traditions of Korean art, yet through the process of deconstruction and reconstruction, she creates a modern interpretation of cultural and material heritage. Each piece tells a story of transformation, as the fragile Hanji paper is cut, torn, and reassembled into new forms, symbolizing renewal and the passage of time. For this exhibition, Shin will present a series of layered works that reveal the beauty in the material’s fragility and the richness of its history.
Heejung Shin is a Korean-Canadian artist whose practice bridges cultural memory and contemporary abstraction. Working with Hanji—the traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark—she explores themes of identity, diaspora, and belonging.
Shin holds a BFA from the University of Waterloo (2018) and Kaywon University of Art and Design, Korea (1995).
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Laurie Skantzos
Guelph, Ontario
Medium: Birch Plywood, Oil and Acrylic Paint
Process: Sculptural Painting, Re-contextualization of Cardboard Packaging Forms.
Laurie Skantzos uses discarded cardboard packaging forms and reimagines them as sculptural paintings, made from birch plywood. Skantzos’ process involves the deconstruction and reconfiguration of everyday materials into sophisticated, minimalist forms that challenge notions of waste, consumption, and transformation. Through the act of turning discarded packaging into refined art objects, she encourages a reconsideration of material culture and the potential for beauty in everyday things.
Laurie studied Fine Art at the University of Waterloo and her work has been exhibited internationally at renowned art fairs and galleries.
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Michael Stecky
Toronto, Ontario
Medium: Thrifted Puzzle Pieces, Paint, Wood
Process: Painting, ReconstructionMichael Stecky’s work centers on the reinterpretation of the rules of making a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces are painted and assembled held upright in a repeating looping grid of colour and form.
The pixelated compositions relate to a variety of strategies that touch upon abstracted landscapes, star nebulas as well as more abstract systems. The paintings reference the tradition of abstract modernism paintings as well as the pattern making evident in quilting or fabric design.
He earned a BA in Fine Arts from Concordia University in Montreal and has received awards from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.