User:Fgonzal7/sandbox

Toni Hamel
Toni Hamel was born in Italy in 1961. She currently lives in Toronto, Canada, and is a contemporary artist that creates conceptual paintings. She is a very passionate hardworking artist that dedicates herself to bringing humor to social issues to bring awareness because they are social issues that for a long time have been ignored by the public, especially in the media. She speaks on political injustices, environmental issues, femininity, and masculinity and how these are both affected by social expectations.

Accomplishments
1. A bachelor of fine arts degree from the Accademia di Belle Arti of Lecce in 1983

2. A post-graduate Certificate in Computer Graphics from Sheridan College in 1991

3. A Golden Key Award from the University of Toronto in 1997

4. The Lubiam Prize in Milan, 1983

5. Three Ontario Arts Council grants years 2011, 2012, and 2014

Work
Toni Hamel's work was displayed in museums and galleries in the United States, Canada, and Europe. She was included in the public collections of J.J. Abrams, the Archives of Ontario Government of Ontario, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the Omer DeSerres Corporation as well as many private international collections. Hamel’s work is often featured in international Arts & Culture magazines, including American Art Collector, Hi-Fructose (USA), The Big Issue (Taiwan), Efflorescence Culturelle (France), CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Canada), and Lodown (Germany) many others.

Interview
Many artists have influenced Toni Hamel and are all for different reasons. Some are just because she loves their work and what they stand for; the other reason is that she connects with them in their life background. Michal Borremans, Joseph Cornell, Amy Cutler, and Marcel Dzama. Conceptually it is Mona Hatoum and Annette Messenger, both installation artists, for their choice of subject matter. Their work addresses the same issues she does like gender roles and discrimination, identity, and self-acceptance. She admires Betty Goodwin because her life story is similar to hers and has been marked by serious struggles and heartaches which is same the connection to the biography of Mary Pratt, although for different reasons. Married to the better known Christopher yet equally talented but had to put her work to the side to prioritize her marriage and family which connects back to gender roles and makes her think about how often a husband gives up what they love to do for their family.

Exhibits
Toni Hamel is an Italian Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1961. Many galleries and museums like Ingram Gallery have featured Toni Hamel's work in the past. Toni Hamel is featured with a piece from Fine Art Connoisseur in 2018 and 2019.