SAPPHIRA (SHE/HER) IS AN IDENTIFYING BLACK WOMAN OF CARIBBEAN DESCENT WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN TORONTO, AND CURRENTLY RESIDES IN THE BEACHES, TORONTO WITH HER SON WHOM SHE IS A CO-PARENT TO. SHE IS A FIERCE CREATOR, ARTIST, PERFORMER, ACTIVIST AND REGISTERED ARCHITECT WITH HER OWN ARCHITECTURAL & DESIGN PRACTICE. ALL OF HER ARTWORKS EXPLORE STORIES AND THEMES PORTRAYING her HUMAN CONDITION WITHIN THE COMPLEX PLETHORA OF EMOTIONS USING A VARIETY OF MEDIUMS TO CONVEY IN AN OTHERWORLDLY STATE WHICH ARE OFTEN TABOO, ETHEREAL AND EROTIC. HER ARTWORK MEDIUMS INCLUDE THEATRICAL DANCE ART, DIGITAL & visual ARTs, ARCHITECTURE ART, SHORT FILM, PUBLIC ART & ARTIVISM. SHE OBTAINED HER UNDERGRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL GRADUATE DEGREES IN ARCHITECTURE AND HAS OVER 16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY. PRIOR TO THAT, SHE MAJORED IN VISUAL ARTS AT AN ARTS HIGH SCHOOL IN TORONTO. SHE ALSO STUDIED CLASSICAL PIANO FOR 12 YEARS AND 8 YEARS TRAINING IN JAZZ, BALLET, TAP, AND ACRO-GYMNASTICS. SHE IS ALSO A SOLO THEATRICAL BURLESQUE ARTIST WITH 13 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE PERFORMING WORLDWIDE. AS AN ACTIVIST, SHE FOUNDED AND CREATED THE MOVEMENT “BEACHERS FOR BLACK LIVES” IN 2020 WITHIN THE BEACH COMMUNITY AND SPEARHEADED MANY PEACEFUL EVENTS AND PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. HER PASSION FOR CREATIVITY IN DESIGN IS UNPARALLED AND SHE LIVES HER LIFE THROUGH AND THROUGH ADVOCATING AND EXPRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN AND AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES WITHIN OURSELVES AND OUR SPACES. SHE IS CONTINUOUSLY EXPLORING NEW CONCEPTS IN ART AND DESIGN AND STRIVES TO BEND AND BREAK BOUNDARIES CREATIVELY THROUGH the lens of body reclamation and liberation.
