Francis Tomkins (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice includes animation, collage, zine making, and workshop facilitation. They have a BFA in Cross-Disciplinary Arts: Publications from OCAD University and have worked within the arts and accessibility sectors at Tangled Art + Disability, StopGap Foundation and Toronto Queer Film Festival. Their work has been featured by Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS), RestFest Film Festival, and Arts Etobicoke. Francis is passionate about how art can be used to create and sustain connected communities.
Treasures of Ours
Timaj Garad
Mot
Presented by: Timaj Garad
Ethnicity: Ethiopian
These are wall ornaments called ‘mot’ from traditional Harari-Ethiopian basket weaving. Each mot also tells a story and has a function. Growing up, I used to help my mom arrange several mot on the walls of our dining room. Hararis use dining rooms as a place to both entertain guests and as a prayer space with usually only a rug and some pillows (no dining table) decorating the space, aside from the mot. Mot arrangement was a way to make a new space feel like home and make an old space new. For the women in my family, it was and still is a form of bonding through artistic curation.
Image taken by me.