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PleasurePunk Headshot 2.JPG

ABOUT

Mirka Loiselle (also known as PleasurePunk) is a multidisciplinary artist and arts educator, working primarily in illustration, drawing, and painting media. Their work straddles the boundary between abstraction and illustration, and is firmly rooted in pleasure, curiosity, and a tongue-in-cheek exploration of all the weird and wonderful things our bodies and brains are capable of. With bright colours, bold lines, and a playful flow of intertwined shapes and images, Mirka’s artwork is a celebration of the myriads of ways we express ourselves as embodied beings, and the way that that experience is fostered collectively.

In addition to her PleasurePunk artwork, Mirka has worked as an illustrator, a community arts educator, and is the owner of SkyBlue Studio, a children's arts and childcare centre located in Toronto's Leslieville neighborhood.

CV

EXHIBITS & PUBLICATIONS
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It's Not Easy Being Green,
group exhibit, Northern Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, 2024

You Do You, group exhibit, Artist Network Member Showcase, Leslieville Grove Gallery, Toronto, 2024
BloomFest, virtual art exhibit, Purple Glow Mag, Online, 2021
Otis Makes Music, picture book illustrations, self-published by author Canya Selvakumar, Toronto, 2021
Cutting It Out, editorial illustrations, Midnight Sun Magazine, Online, 2021
Relatives, linocut illustrations, Groundwork Magazine, Victoria BC, 2021
Neartown Zine, cover art and contributing illustrations, Toronto, 2020-2022
Camp Coup, webcomic, self-published with writer Molison Farmer, Online, 2020
Exquisite Collaboration, collaborative puppet show, Concrete Cabaret, Online, 2020
Desire Lines, illustration solo art installation, VIBE Arts & the TTC, Ossington Subway Station, Toronto, 2020
Journée, sculpture in group art exhibit, VIBE Arts & Nuit Blanche, Scarborough Civic Centre, Toronto, 2019
TRASh sANCTUARY, sculpture in an immersive art party, xLq POP ART, Brandscape, Toronto, 2018

COMMISSIONS
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Creatured, collaborative mural with artist Kyla Yager, OnTask Studio, Toronto, 2023
Illustrations for educational pamphlet, Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, Toronto, 2023
Character Illustrations, Clay and Paper Theatre & Elementary Teachers of Toronto, 2022
The Naked Truth, illustrations for a puppetry performance, Clay and Paper Theatre, Toronto, 2021
Poster Design, impel Theatre, Toronto, 2021
Colouring pages, The Summerhill Club, Toronto, 2021
I’m An Elephant, Children’s book illustrations, Private commission, Toronto, 2020 - 2021
Gremlin Hour, illustrations and puppets, Kerploding Theatre, Toronto Fringe Festival, 2019
Trunk! Character designs & banner, Youth Media Alliance tv pitch, Toronto, 2019

LIVE EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
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Collaborations in Art - Artist Talk & Workshop, Fineline Art Hub, OCADU Waterfront, Toronto, 2024
Solar Flair Party, Live collaborative painting & drawing murals, The Bridge, Toronto, 2024
Astronights, Live painting, Toronto Visionary Arts, Alternity Community Hub, Toronto, 2024
Geary Art Crawl, Live collaborative mural painting, Toronto, 2023
Solar Flair Party, Live painting, King St West, Toronto, 2023
Speed Friending - Art Social, event co-organizer & facilitator, OnTask Studio, Toronto, 2023
Art Party Social, event co-organizer & facilitator, OnTask Studio, Toronto, 2023
What Am I? Art Party, Live painting & collaborative drawing mural, Hercinia Arts, Coin8 Studio, Toronto, 2023

ART MARKETS
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Big Fam Jam artist market, Supermarket Bar & Variety, Toronto, 2024
Lovers Night Market, Tatu Amor, Toronto, 2024
Erotic Arts & Craft Fair, Come As You Are, Parkdale Hall, Toronto, 2024
All Good Art Market, Bar Orwell, Toronto, 2022

COMMUNITY ARTS PROGRAMS & PROJECTS (Selected)
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YouthINK Creative Writing & Zine Making, VIBE Arts & Humber College, Toronto, 2024
Heroes in Action Comic Book Program, ArtStarts, Online, 2023
The Monster in the Library Storybook Program, Maria A. Shchuka Library, Toronto, 2022
Virtual Art Workshops for Tamil Caregivers Program, Community Arts Guild, Online, 2021 - 2022
Digital Illustration, VIBE Arts & Humber River Hospital, Online, 2021
SPARK Comic Arts, Workshops on Art, Self-Esteem, Resilience, and Mental Health, VIBE Arts & ArtStarts, Online, 2021
VIBE Bloom, Virtual Art Workshop Series, VIBE Arts, Online, 2020-2021
Storybook Illustration, VIBE Arts & Evelyn Gregory Library, Toronto, 2020
Playground Mural Painting, VIBE Arts & Roselands Public School, Toronto, 2019
Beyond 3:30 Artist Residency, VIBE Arts and Carleton Village Jr & Sr Sports & Wellness Academy, Toronto, 2019

WORK EXPERIENCE

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Owner and Program Instructor, SkyBlue Studio, Toronto, 2022 - Present
Children’s Visual Art Teacher (virtual), Playocity, 2020 - 2021
Administrative Assistant, The Summerhill Club, 2020 - 2021
Children’s Visual Art Program Instructor, SkyBlue Studio, Toronto, 2019 - 2022
Children’s Co-curricular Program Instructor, ExploreIt, Toronto, 2017-2021
Freelance Theatre Producer (various), Toronto, 2017 - 2019
Development & Marketing Assistant, Nightwood Theatre, Toronto, 2017 - 2018
Summer Camp Counsellor, Trent Excalibur Camp, Peterborough, 2014 - 2016

COMMUNITY & VOLUNTEER WORK
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Artist & Activities Coordinator, Solar Flair Parties, The Bridge, Toronto, 2024 - Present
Board Member,  Arts Education Network of Ontario, Toronto & Online, 2021 - 2023
Program Assistant, Story Planet, Toronto, 2021 - 2023
Mentor, Community Living Ontario, 2021
Organizing Member, Artists for Climate & Migrant Justice and Indigenous Sovereignty, Toronto, 2019 - Present
Co-President, University of Toronto Drama Coalition, 2016 - 2017
Festival Coordinator, University of Toronto Drama Coalition, 2015 - 2016


TRAINING
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Children’s Book Illustration, George Brown College, Toronto, 2023
Screenprinting, Open Studio, Toronto, 2022
Deep Space Sparkle Creative Juices Course, Online, 2021
Emerging Artist Program, VIBE Arts, Toronto, 2018 - 2020
Building Giant Puppets, Clay & Paper Theatre, Toronto, 2020
Monotype Printmaking, Open Studio, Toronto, 2019
Teaching English as a Foreign Language Through Theatre and Play (TEFL-TP), EducoItalia, SanRemo, Italy, 2018

Nightwood Theatre Young Innovators Program, Toronto, 2017 - 2018
Fringe TENT Program, Toronto Fringe Festival, 2017


EDUCATION
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Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, University of Toronto St George, 2013-17





 

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