The Akin Career Launcher Award is a career-support opportunity for graduating students in Drawing & Painting, Integrated Media, Indigenous Visual Studies, Cross-Disciplinary Art: Life Studies, and Sculpture & Installation at OCAD University. Offered in partnership with Akin, the award is facilitated by OCAD U’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers. The award has been given annually since 2019.
Two graduating students receive a $2,000 credit toward a studio membership at one of Akin’s eight shared workspace location across the GTA for the 2024–2025 year, along with a $450 credit for use at Akin’s Remote Gallery, located at Richmond and Portland.
Remote Gallery provides space for early-career artists to exhibit work, host workshops or artist talks, and engage in other professional development activities.
This opportunity offers access to a supportive creative community and the multidisciplinary facilities available through Akin Collective.
To learn more about this award visit: https://www.ocadu.ca/news/announcing-recipients-2025-akin-studios-career-launchers
If you're interested in partnering with Akin to create an award, please reach out to us at info@akincollective.com.
2025 RECIPIENTS
s a visual artist based in Toronto, Canada. Her artistic practice is an ongoing exploration of the intersections between human experience and environmental influences, reflecting different themes of identity, transformation, and resilience. Drawing inspiration from the emotional intensity of Expressionism and the limitless forms of Abstract Art, her works seek to invoke a dialogue on human matters. Her goal is to create art that not only occupies space but also serves as a catalyst for reflection and engagement, encouraging viewers to consider their connection to the world and the impact of their presence within it.
@firouzeh_saremifar
is an oil painter and intaglio printmaker based Toronto. Her work explores the connection between memory loss and transitional places, using fleeting images taken while in transit to reflect how memories slip, fade, and blur over time. The world seen from these spaces is impermanent and distorted, mirroring the way memory loss fractures and reshapes past experiences. Through painting and etching, she is able to organize, preserve, and remember fading experiences. Haley has exhibited her work across Ontario and is graduating from OCAD University’s Drawing & Painting program with a minor in Printmaking & Publications.
@haleymeyerart
2024 RECIPIENTS
Shannon Sandwell
is a Toronto-based figurative painter, whose work focuses on community and connection. Graduating from OCADU this year with a BFA in Drawing and painting, their work has already been shown at the Etobicoke Civic Center and been featured in the Toronto Star. Working on large-scale acrylic paintings and charcoal drawings, their work pieces together connections that might otherwise be missed.
@shannonsandwell
Meera Dinh
is a Vietnamese artist based in Toronto who specializes in oil painting. Through the use of erotic and personal symbols, she explores the liminality between the conscious and unconscious mind and weaves her own narrative of introspection. She invites viewers to her most intimate space, where she lays bare raw vulnerability and ruminates on the inherent absurdity in life. Meera is an emerging artist acquiring a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Drawing and Painting Program from OCAD University.
@m.sarts
“Since moving into my Akin Richmond-Bathurst studio, I feel incredibly fortunate to have found such an inspiring space. Located in the heart of Toronto’s most artistic area, the studio is everything I could have hoped for as a painter—housed in a charming brick building with serene views and surrounded by a vibrant community of talented artists. This environment has pushed my practice forward, allowing me to learn from others and grow in ways I hadn’t anticipated. It feels like the ultimate artist’s dream space, a sanctuary where creativity thrives.
This studio has given me the solid foundation to continue my artistic journey beyond graduation. It’s more than just a workspace; receiving this space has been a life-changing award. It’s given me the confidence that I’m on the right path and reminds me to keep going, no matter the challenges. The opportunity to work here has been a significant turning point, motivating me to push my work further and explore new directions.
I’m currently preparing for a group show at Remote Gallery with Ellie Hsu and Ariadna Mavila de la Rosa. Our exhibition, which will take place either later this year or early next year, explores the theme of female identity merging with animal forms. It’s a deeply personal project for me, and the space has given me the room to fully explore these ideas through oil painting, my primary medium. It has allowed me to experiment with new techniques and materials, bringing these concepts to life in ways I hadn’t imagined.
In addition to the upcoming show, I’ve also been applying for exhibitions and residencies. Thanks to this studio, I can develop new works and expand my portfolio in ways that will sustain my practice for years to come.”
PAST RECIPIENTS