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TORONTO, May 21, 2026 — Sankofa Square is introducing a new layer of public art across the site, transforming 24 everyday pieces of public infrastructure, including 14 benches and 10 waste bins, into vibrant, human-scale artworks that enhance the public space.
Curated by MakeRoom Inc., Art in the Square brings work from four artists to the space through an open call process that received more than 150 submissions and was selected by a community-led jury. The installations debut June 2, launching #HotSquareSummer.
The project reflects a broader commitment to strengthening social infrastructure within the Square, creating a safe space for pause, connection, and everyday experience.
“I really wanted the community to feel like they own the Square,” said Trevor Twells, co-founder of MakeRoom Inc. “Incorporating works from community members into the space strengthens that sense of ownership for everyone. I think all Torontonians can feel a sense of cultural pride when visiting the Square.”
MEET THE ARTISTS BEHIND THE TRANSFORMATION
Sharn Bassi
Toronto-based visual artist Sharn Bassi brings a bold, botanical lens to the Square, working across painting, murals, and digital illustration. Her work explores identity, memory, and cultural inheritance through layered abstraction and vibrant colour. Her piece, Shared Ground, reflects the quiet coexistence between people and wildlife in Toronto, with foxes, raccoons, birds, and native plants forming a continuous urban ecosystem.
Apanaki Temitayo
Apanaki Temitayo is a Toronto-based artist and facilitator whose work transforms African textiles into a powerful visual language rooted in Afro-Caribbean identity. Through layered collage, she explores memory, resilience, and ancestral presence. Her installation, Oju Olorun: What Sees Us, draws from Yoruba cosmology and the concept of the “Eye of God,” a gaze that sees beyond the visible. Using rhythm, pattern, and colour, the work invites visitors to pause, feel seen, and consider their place within a shared, living history.
Chantelle Dorafshani
Mississauga-based Filipino-Persian illustrator Chantelle Dorafshani brings a vibrant, community-driven perspective to the Square. A recent graduate of Sheridan’s Illustration program, her work blends traditional and digital techniques to explore identity, nature, and connection. Her design transforms benches and bins into bursts of colour, where organic shapes and human forms intertwine, reflecting Sankofa Square as a place to gather, grow, and celebrate Toronto’s diverse communities.
Adams Kofi Amaning
Toronto-born, Ghanaian-Canadian artist and creative director Adams Kofi Amaning creates layered visual narratives that explore identity, diaspora, and cultural continuity. His work blends design, storytelling, and global influences to bridge past and present. His piece reinterprets traditional Kente cloth, drawing on the OBAAKOFO MMU MAN pattern, meaning “one person does not rule a nation.” By merging this historic motif with Toronto iconography, the work becomes a living pattern of connection, honouring heritage while reflecting the city’s evolving cultural identity.
HOT SQUARE SUMMER LAUNCH WEEK SCHEDULE
#HotSquareSummer kicks off with a full week of free programming, introducing a new daily rhythm of music, movement, film, and community at Sankofa Square.
- Media Preview – Tuesday, June 2 (11:30 AM–2:00 PM)
First look at the new public art installations, with artists and Sankofa Square leadership in attendance. - Lunch in the Square (Launch Event) – Tuesday, June 2 (12:00–3:00 PM)
Transform your Tuesday lunch break with live DJ sets curated by DJ Killa Kels, who will also headline opening day, alongside three local food trucks, officially kicking off #HotSquareSummer. - Fitness in the Square – Wednesday, June 3 (5:30–6:30 PM)
Make healthy happen with an after-work outdoor movement and wellness session led by Anytime Fitness. - Music in the Square – Thursday, June 4 (6:00–10:00 PM)
A free live concert launches the Summer Concert Series, programmed by MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity, spotlighting emerging talent and the future of music in Canada. - Melanin Market in the Square – Friday, June 5 (3:00–9:00 PM)
The popular market that celebrates Black creativity returns for #HotSquareSummer with vendors, fashion, art, and handcrafted goods.
“The initiative builds on Sankofa Square’s evolving vision as a dynamic civic space that prioritizes accessibility, cultural expression, and everyday use, while reinforcing its role as a gathering place in the heart of Toronto,” said Marnie Grona, Interim General Manager, Sankofa Square. “Come by, check it out, and see the transformation for yourself.”
Other #HotSquareSummer highlights include:
- Movies in the Square programmed by Reel Asian Film Festival (July 7) and Inside Out Film Festival (August 4).
- Music in the Square concert line-up featuring AfroWaveTO, Waveland, Q Musicale, Summer Haus, TMU Superstars, and more.
- DJ in the Square, curated by DJ Killa Kels, featuring rotating DJs and lunchtime sets designed to energize the workday.
- Fitness in the Square with Anytime Fitness returning plus Socacize Fitness.
More programming details will be shared throughout the summer.
For more information, visit https://www.sankofasquare.ca.
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