Photo of the Week

Photo Essay
Written By Ebti Nabag
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The statue of Egerton Ryerson, the architect of the residential school system, along with the statue of John A. Macdonald and King Edward VII were defaced in an art-based BLM protest in Toronto on July 18th. The statues exalt figures who have historically contributed to the oppression of BIPOC in Canada; as such, protesters demanded they be taken down.

These monuments to figures that have negatively shaped our society have always been there, but it took the act of defacing them for their current context to become visible.

Residues of the past have remained, emerging in new forms that continue to oppress BIPOC communities. These figures have inflicted intergenerational trauma, and their presence is a continuous reminder of that.

Ebti Nabag

Ebti Nabag is a graduate of Ryerson University’s MFA program Documentary Media in Film and Photography. She is a Sudanese-Canadian visual artist who works with photography, video, and installation. She is also a digital and analogue photography instructor. She teams up with galleries and community organizations to deliver visual programs that provide opportunities for creative self-expression and aid in the development of identity. Her personal work is motivated by stories from the average human, and hopes her documentations serve as bridges between people and communities.

https://www.ebtinabag.com/
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