Cultured Reflections: The 1.5-Gen

Chelsea Nyomi Richards

June 22 - July 16

Gallery Hours: Wed - Sat from 1 - 6 pm
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 25, 2-4 pm.

Cultured Reflections: The 1.5 Gen is a reflexive docuseries that explores the identities of 1.5-generation Canadian artists, which are individuals who immigrated to Canada during childhood or adolescence. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is a culturally diverse hub where people from many nations share the land. Through video interviews with six participants of various cultural and artistic backgrounds, the project addresses the impacts of migration on the sense of belonging and the experiences of growing up in Canada and the GTA.

In addition to the cultural differences between colleagues and peers, the struggles of a 1.5-generation Canadian are distinct. These issues include being considered a “foreigner” when travelling to the place where you were born, parental and familial conflicts between generations, and situating oneself as an immigrant in a culturally diverse population. Cultured Reflections also explores parental reactions to their children’s decision to pursue art as a full-time career, and follows the journey of six 1.5-generation Canadian artists as they navigate through Toronto’s art scene in order to show how they make a living as artists and develop artistic portfolios that reflect their identities. 

The producer of this project, Chelsea Nyomi Richards, is a 1st-generation Canadian artist working through her own identity as she develops her artistic career. She created this project as a way to help understand herself by relating to the similar experiences of other artists who are also struggling with their identities, and wanted to facilitate a focus group to connect with those who felt alone when reflecting on the impacts of immigration. Cultured Reflections shares the collective experiences of 1.5-generation Canadian artists trying to make sense of where they truly belong. 

Chelsea Nyomi is a first-generation Canadian of Jamaican heritage whose work explores the connectivity of the world through art. She is interested in artistic identity, cultural identity, sentimental stories, and community building through shared experiences. As a multidisciplinary artist, she expresses her interests through the mediums of film, photography, graphic design, creative direction, and writing.

Prior to her studies in Documentary Media, she completed a diploma in Broadcast Television & Videography from Humber College (2020), and holds a BScH in Life Sciences, with a specialization in Neuroscience from Queen’s University (2018). Chelsea is passionate about following her heart, which is what motivated her to pursue a career in arts and media as opposed to strictly science.

She is currently employed as a video editor in the film & television industry and operates a small business, Vagus Creatives (www.vaguscreatives.net), which is a blog and magazine dedicated to sharing the stories and work of artists and creative entrepreneurs around the world.

More of Chelsea's work is available at www.chelsea-nyomi.com