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Introducing "That's How You Feel?" – A Love Letter to Toronto

Drops on September 2024

Toronto. A city that can lift you up one moment and ghost you the next. It’s like trying to photograph a crush who keeps leaving you on read—captivating, elusive, and sometimes mad frustrating. But every now and then, the light hits just right, and you’re reminded why you keep coming back.

"That's How You Feel?" is my attempt to capture those fleeting moments when Toronto lets its guard down. In 32 pages, this zine is a chronicle of a love-hate relationship with a city that’s as moody as the weather and just as unpredictable. It’s a reminder that, even in the midst of all the concrete and chaos, there are still flashes of something beautiful, something worth holding onto—if only for a moment.

Not Here for “Perfection”.

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned along the way came from an unexpected source during my college years. In my third year, I had an amazing figure drawing teacher named Gerry Zeldin. Gerry was a bit like Einstein, but for drawing. He had this unique way of observing and understanding art that was truly inspiring.

I remember one particular class where Gerry was walking around, observing us as we drew the model. I was incredibly nervous, especially because I had set out to draw the "perfect" pose to impress him. My hands were blackened and damp from the sweat of my palms mixing with the charcoal I was using. I thought to myself, "This is it, I think I finally did it, I impressed him!"

Gerry finally approached my station and paused. He took one look at my newsprint, then at me, and said, "Omii, You’re making my teeth hurt, you’re too tight!" I was taken aback. Here I was, trying to create the perfect drawing, and my teacher was telling me I was too rigid. I was like "damn...".

That comment stuck with me. It made me realize that the pursuit of perfection can be stifling, leading to unfinished work and disappointment. As I ventured into photography, I’ve been learning to manage that impulse. Sometimes you have to take 100 “bad” frames before you get the “good” one.

So, here's to the journey, the learning, the bad frames, and the good ones. I hope you'll join me as I continue to chase the light.

Until then,

O

Memory Work is a monument that commemorates a speculative world. The people depicted in these portraits belong to a group known as the Mothers of Invention, abbreviated as MOI, and pronounced like the sound of a kiss. They are a group of revolutionary scientists, healers, creators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and organizers, represented in photographs taken by Omii Thompson of Mecha Clarke, Jennifer Maramba, Xiyao (Miranda) Shou, Zanette Singh, Cheyenne Sundance, and Dori Tunstall.