An Exploration of Child Labour Through Visual Arts Exhibit and Public Lecture
Place: Bond Hotel, Toronto, ON Bond Hotel – Toronto
Date: 20-21/Sep/19
As part of its 30th Anniversary Celebrations, the School of Child & Youth Care at Ryerson University, in partnership with Pakistani-Canadian artist Sabahat Anis, and the John C. Eaton Chair of Social Innovation in the Faculty of Community Services at Ryerson University presents:
An Exploration of Child Labour Through Visual Arts Exhibit and Public Lecture
This event features an exhibit of visual art exploring child labour through various lenses. The art is curated from artists representing many countries around the world and provides for humanist, political, cultural and social perspectives on the global issue of child labour. A public lecture by one of the most prolific child rights scholars and activists, Dr. Tara Collins from the School of Child & Youth Care, will provide context for the exhibit.
It was truly fulfilling to participate in this exhibition. I worked all summer on two paintings that were displayed in the exhibition.
“Blood Bangles” was inspired by watching documentaries on the little children in India who work every day for several hours in inadequate conditions, on jewelry, etc. They do intricate, tedious work with sharp instruments, cutting their little fingers, and their eyes becoming tired. Please think about where those cheap trinkets come from before purchasing.
“Unlicensed, Uninsured and Unprotected” was the fruit of research in child labour in Europe. Apparently, the minimum age to work has dropped, making it permissible to hire teenagers who may be given the most uninteresting, tedious work. They are also often exploited as they don’t know their rights.
If you would like more information on these paintings or others by this artist, please go to