I wanted to take a risk. So I went to TAP.
Adam Giroux, Resident Artist 2015-2017
Adam is an emerging self-taught artist whose work explores the boundaries of identity and obsession with self improvement. After presenting his first solo show Callow at TAP in 2015, Adam was a resident for two years. During and following the residency, Adam gained representation by the Gallery House in Toronto, and has exhibited in galleries in London, Toronto and Montreal. Adam creates haunting oil portraits of cryptic characters to elaborate on the themes of restraint and growth.
When I was a student at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, we always had our year-end art shows at TAP, so it had been part of my artistic life for a long time. So when I first decided to start focusing on my art and prioritizing it in my life, TAP was the place where I wanted to try to take a risk and show my work.
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After a successful first show, I met Sandra and two of the resident artists, Angie Quick and Rob Nelson. Their passion toward their work and the enthusiasm for the space was magnetic, and all it took was a quick tour of the spaces to convince me I had to be there. It was time to dedicate myself to creating the work I wanted to create, and TAP was the perfect platform for that focus.
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What stood out to me at TAP was the community of resident artists who were all passionate about their work, and it was a true pleasure to be a part of it. Some of the best moments I had at TAP were the resident artist shows, where we were able to put everyone's work on display and see the progressions of work from year to year. It was inspiring to watch everyone evolve with their work and be introduced to so many new ideas and people.
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My studio residency at TAP allowed me to expand my vision for the work I was creating. It allowed me to increase the scale of the work, both physically and conceptually. It gave me a place for visitors to come and see my work and how I approach it, which helped me build connections with galleries, collectors, and fellow artists. The freedom to spend my days and nights there allowed me to dedicate the time I needed without disturbing anyone around me. Being in the core of downtown London let me experience the city and open up my window to absorb the energy from the bustle of people on the streets below.
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My experience at TAP was exactly what I was looking for.
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Adam Giroux, Resident Artist
2015-2017
