Congratulations to Michael Donohue, Recipient of TOAF's Akin Space Award!

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Image credit: Marylin Braun, @braun_marilyn

 

Congratulations to Michael Donohue, Recipient of TOAF's Akin Space Award!

Michael (Mike) Donohue is a fibre artist reinterpreting the traditional techniques of crochet that he first learned as a child through the use of self-taught, freeform crochet.

Michael has a life-long passion for arts andcrafts, building and creating. He continued to study “fine art” and art history through higher education, practicing painting as a hobbyist.

 

Michael Donohue, Bright Iris, 2025. Wool, crochet. 100x100cm

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in Toronto his practice undertook a transformation. Combining the crochet skills he first learned as a child from his grandma with his interest in more traditional “fine art” stylistic sensibilities, his fibre art practice was born.

Michael’s work is a meditation on how we experience and interact with the environment around us, and our connection to and impacts on natural environments. His work invites the viewer to slow down, enjoy the subtle beauty, reflect. His work is both metaphor and a love letter to the world around us, expressing the joy to be found in nature.

 

Michael Donohue, Poppies, 2024. Cotton, crochet, with felt backing. 135x80cm

 

His use of freeform crochet is a continually evolving and growing, organic process – each stitch is a breath of life into his creations. In addition, he works exclusively in natural fibres, in furtherance of his chosen subject matter.

Michael’s love for crochet continues to be shared through the teaching of workshops and classes, community engagement, and exhibition.

Michael’s booth at TOAF 2026. Image credit: Marylin Braun, @braun_marilyn

The TOAF, Akin Space Award is designed, in collaboration with the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF), to support emerging artists in Toronto by providing access to creative workspace and/or exhibition space.

Michael is the recipient of an $1,000 credit applicable toward:

  • an Akin studio membership (shared or dedicated) at any Akin location

  • a Remote Gallery rental

  • or a combination of both

Michael is currently focused on creating new pieces for his first exhibition at the Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts Show, taking place September 11–13, 2026. Following the exhibition, Michael will decide how he would like to use the Akin Space Award.

See more of Micheals work on the TOAF website, Michael’s personal webpage and follow him on Instagram @mdvassal

We also want to extend a BIG thank you to all of the TOAF staff, volunteers, and jury members, as well as our juror, Akin’s Remote Gallery Manager, Renato Baldin!

Akin Members participating at TOAF in 2025

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Summer is here, and that means the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) is happening again! From July 11th-13th, Nathan Philips Square will be filled with incredible art, including work from talented artists within our very own Akin community. While you’re there browsing the creativity within the iconic white tents of the TOAF, be sure to check out the booths of our beloved Akin members and alumni.

Congratulations and best of luck to you all!

With love,
Akin

Participating Akin Members:

Madeleine Baird - Booth 59

Akin Richmond-Bathurst Madeleine (Maddy) Baird is an emerging artist from Pembroke, ON, currently based in Toronto. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Art Honours at Queen’s University, graduating in 2024. Her practice consists of oil painting and serigraphy, with a focus on portraiture. Her work has been exhibited in Kingston, Toronto and Vienna. Madeleine was a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant in 2024.

Using directional brushstrokes and incorporating vivid colours into the skin, she creates a sense of vibrancy and life in the subjects she paints. Her practice is fueled by an interest in exploring themes of self-reflection, vulnerability, connection, and queer life experiences. Integrating narrative-based elements into her work allows her to engage with viewers by creating a sense of curiosity and exploration. By centering these concepts, she aspires to connect with viewers and hopes that those who are represented in her artwork can feel uplifted by this representation.

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@maddyartt

Mykah Czarina Dela Cruz - Booth 327

Akin Davisville member Mykah draws upon personal history and narratives of interconnectedness with nature and community through a diasporic lens. Fostering bold colours and visceral works in varying mediums is in effort of diversity, healing and acceptance. Their work spans media, commercial, and cultural spaces—appearing in print, in public, and in practice.

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@mykahcdc

Olivier Forgues - Booth 354

Akin Richmond-Bathurst member Olivier Forgues is a Canadian painter. Originally from Montreal, he is now based in Toronto.

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@olivierforguesart

Haley Meyer - Booth 1-2

Akin Queen East member and 2025 Akin Career Launcher recipient, Haley Meyer is an artist specializing in oil painting and etching. Her practice draws upon her experience with memory loss; how it has reshaped and impacted her life. Her work serves as mnemonic tools to help her remember her lived experiences, in turn acting as a resistance to memory loss. Haley graduated from OCAD University in 2025 with a BFA (Hons) in Drawing and Painting and a minor In Printmaking and Publications.

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@haleymeyerart

Sadaf Pourghorbani - Booth 356

Akin Davisville member Sadaf Pourghorbani Solei is an Iranian-Canadian multimedia artist based in Toronto whose work explores self-discovery, cultural connection, and emotional resonance through intuitive and project-specific mediums. Working across photography, illustration, and sculpture, Sadaf’s practice draws from memory, personal history, and subconscious imagery. She holds a BFA from NSCAD University and an MFA from Toronto Metropolitan University. Her work has been presented in solo exhibitions at Anna Leonowens Gallery (Halifax) and Gladstone Gallery (Toronto).

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@sadaf.solei

Firouzeh Saremi Far - Exclusively Online

2025 Akin Career Launcher recipient, Firouzeh Saremi Far is 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.
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Firouzeh's work has been exhibited in galleries and art fairs nationally and internationally, she has also participated in art residencies such as the Gibraltar Point Residency (Toronto Island, Canada) and the Cultural Immersion Residency (Mexico), which have influenced her approach to materiality and storytelling. During the 62nd Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, she received several awards, including the Best of Student Award, the Artscape Solo Exhibition and Residency Award, and the Marie Collins Memorial Award.

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.

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@firouzeh_saremifar

Marjan Verstappen - Booth 81

Akin Queen East member Marjan Verstappen’s paintings come out of a deep engagement with materials that fulfill industrial purposes, namely; cyanotype, asphalt, and oil paint. As she works, she asks herself, ‘what kind of stories can be told about these materials?’ and, ‘what do they tell us about ourselves?’ If she were to describe these paintings in a word, it would be folding: a folding of time, place, and material. She seeks a relationship with these materials that is embodied, honest, and hopeful of repair.

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@far_stepping

Joy Zheng - Booth 99

Akin Richmond-Bathurst member Joy Zheng creats vibrant, eclectic oil and acrylic paintings. She graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, where she began developing her style and thematic focus. Her inspiration often draws from the way perceptions of the world shift at various stages of life, exploring themes of introspection, memory, and self-dialogue rooted in personal experience. Many of her works intentionally incorporate a childlike element, using paint markers and deliberately chaotic, disproportionate compositions. Through this seemingly playful lens, Joy examines social constructs and questions what aspects of human nature are inherent versus conditioned. Several of her earlier pieces also delve into themes of wealth disparity, religion, technology, and the consequences of systems designed to favor those in power, reflecting on the materialistic society in which we live. Joy’s work aspires to offer viewers a moment of peace or contemplation amidst their busy lives, encouraging them to reconnect with their inner child.

To view more of their work available at TOAF click here

@joy.zheng.art

Visit TOAF: 

Nathan Phillips Square, July 11 – 13, rain or shine

Free to attend! 

Friday Jul 11, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Saturday July 12, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Sunday July 13, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

More details: https://toaf.ca/