Winnipeg-based artist paints mural for Toronto TikTok headquarters
An Anishinaabe artist has upsized his canvas to the wall of a social media giant’s Toronto headquarters.
Blake Angeconeb, a Lac Seul First Nation band member who now lives in Winnipeg, has painted a mural for the new Toronto headquarters of TikTok.
The project came out of the blue, according to Angeconeb, with a request gauging his interest doing some artwork for their new office.
“I didn't think it was real at first until they sent the NDA (non-disclosure agreement). And then it was all official,” said Angeconeb. “So I was there the first week of January and painted a large mural 54 feet by 16 feet. So it was definitely my biggest work yet.”
Angeconeb’s works are rooted in the school of Woodland art but with a twist.
Source: Instagram/@blakeangeconeb
Woodland art is a form of Indigenous art made famous in the late 1960s by Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau.
The paintings blend traditional legends and myths with contemporary mediums and explore the relationships between people, animals and plants.
The paintings are also often quite colourful but stylistically two-dimensional.
“I fuse it with stuff from modern pop, just stuff that I grew up with stuff that I love, like video games, certain cartoon characters, and just stuff from my life I wanted to incorporate into my journey of learning art,” said Angeconeb.
Source: Instagram/@blakeangeconebAngeconeb’s mural has yet to be revealed, as renovations on the new TicTok building are ongoing. He could not provide details on the piece, but said the mural will be a centrepiece in the open concept office space.
Art was something Angeconeb kind of fell into. The 32-year-old said while growing up, he never took the time to appreciate the works of others and didn’t take art in school.
That all changed in 2013 when he painted a picture of Hello Kitty for his niece.
“I just found it really relaxing. And from there I just took that practice and started painting on my own,” Angeconeb said.
It was soon after he discovered the works of Norval Morrisseau and started experimenting.
Source: Instagram/@blakeangeconeb
Going into the project, Angeconeb had little experience in large-scale paintings but big commercial commissions was something he had dreamed about doing as an artist.
As for a timeline, he guessed and gave himself a week, which in hindsight he said should have been two.
The project took the whole week, from morning to night, with the finishing touches being put on just before his return flight to Winnipeg.
“They could have picked any artist they want to do this job, but they came to me. And they knew from the start that it had pretty much little to no mural experience, but they just fully trusted me and gave me the tools and brought me to Toronto,” said Angeconeb.
“It was awesome.”
A reveal date for his TikTok mural is still unknown.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.