DesignTO Talks: Material Expressions

DesignTO is a registered charitable arts organization that believes design can create a sustainable, just, and joyful world. From January 23 – February 1, 2026, the DesignTO Festival features 100+ free events across Toronto, showcasing hundreds of artists and designers. Known as Canada’s largest annual design festival, DesignTO has welcomed over 1 million attendees, reached 2.6 billion people through media, supported 7+ creatives, and generated $120 million in tourism impact.“DesignTO isn’t just a festival; it’s an anti-loneliness machine,” co-founder Christina Zeidler remarked, underscoring the organization’s power to foster belonging and spark vital conversations about design’s role in shaping a better world.

DesignTO

Join DesignTO for an engaging presentation and discussion with glass artists Nadira Narine and Lauren Rice.

Collective Arts Toronto Taproom & Café

2025 DesignTO Festival

These are just some of the 100+ events happening in Toronto and online as part of the 15th annual DesignTO Festival, Jan 24-Feb 2, 2025. To see the full Festival schedule, visit https://designto.org/2025-festival-schedule/

Join DesignTO for an engaging presentation and discussion with glass artists Nadira Narine and Lauren Rice, whose projects '<a href="https://designto.org/event/chromatic-echoes/" title="https://designto.org/event/chromatic-echoes/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Chromatic Echoes</a>' and '<a href="https://designto.org/event/queer-connections/" title="https://designto.org/event/queer-connections/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Queer Connections</a>' explore identity, memory, and emotion. Through boldly coloured, expressive works in glass, Lauren and Nadira navigate community connections current and past, evoking nostalgia for what has been, and a celebration of what is.Following the talk, you are encouraged to visit Lauren and Nadira's installations nearby, as well as the nine other projects in the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood as part of the DesignTO Festival. <h4>Speakers</h4>

Raised in Panama City, Nadira Narine has a deep interest in her cultural roots. Having lived in Canada since 2011, Nadira explores objects and memories from her childhood as a means of self-discovery and connection to home.Nadira is a current Artist-in-Residence at the Living Art Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Craft and Design with a specialty in Glass and Textiles, completed a 4-year Artist-in-Residence position in glass at Harbourfront Centre, and has been most recently recognized as a finalist for the prestigious 2023 RBC Glass Award.<a href="https://www.hyperprecious.com" title="https://www.hyperprecious.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">hyperprecious.com</a>

Lauren Nicole Rice is an artist from Manitoba now based in the Greater Toronto Area. Lauren studied glassblowing at Sheridan College and achieved a Bachelor of Craft and Design. Currently she is an Artist-in-Residence at Harbourfront Centre. Lauren creatively mixes mediums, incorporating materials like ceramic underglaze, as well as using leather to accentuate glass forms. This unique approach adds texture and dimension to her whimsical glass sculptures. Lauren explores themes of queer joy, connection, and community.<a href="https://www.laurenmakesart.com" title="https://www.laurenmakesart.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">laurenmakesart.com</a>

‘DesignTO Talks: Material Expressions' is organized by DesignTO, and supported by the Trinity Bellwoods BIA, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.<a href="https://designto.org/" title="https://designto.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">DesignTO</a> is a non-profit arts organization celebrating 15 years of designing a sustainable, just, and joyful future. From January 24-February 2, 2025, the DesignTO Festival features 100+ free events across Toronto, showcasing hundreds of artists and designers. Known as Canada’s largest annual design festival, DesignTO has welcomed over 1 million attendees, reached 2.6 billion people through media, supported 6,500+ creatives, and generated $120 million in tourism impact. “DesignTO isn’t just a festival; it’s an anti-loneliness machine,” co-founder Christina Zeidler remarked, underscoring the organization’s power to foster belonging and spark vital conversations about design’s role in shaping a better world.

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DesignTO Talks: Material Expressions

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