STUDIO SYSTEM LAB
Build your own creative system across mediums
Toronto | 8-week studio mentorship | 2-person cohort
June cohort: full
Fall 2026 cohort: waitlist open
What this is
Studio System Lab (SSLab) is a studio-based program for artists and makers working across multiple mediums who want to understand their practice as one connected system.
If you move between drawing, painting, animation, material experiments,photography, writing, or observation—but don’t yet see how it all connects—this studio program is built for that.
The approach
SSLab is grounded in the idea that:
a system is a group of parts that are connected and affect each other.
In the studio, we work with that idea directly.
Ideas are not fixed inside one medium.
They move, repeat, shift, and reappear across different forms.
Drawing becomes animation.
Observation becomes painting.
Material becomes structure.
Process becomes method.
This circulation is what SSLab is built around.
See the System in Action
In this program, you will develop your own system while observing mine as it evolves in real time.
This approach was developed through my first museum solo exhibition at MacLaren Art Centre (Every Connected Fibre: A Theory of Everything).
→ View exhibition + system context (MacLaren Art Centre)
From my March 2026 newsletter:
“The Big Toe Series explores light, teaching methodology, self-improvement, and simplification. Each small plein air painting is a research study in perception, reducing complex scenes to essential gestures of light and form. Meanwhile, the L.O.L. Series explores material behavior, plant fibers, and amplification through simplification. Together, these practices create a system more complex than the sum of its parts.”
This program extends that same logic into practice—through learning by doing, observation, and iterative system-building over time.
Pulp-Painted Animation (In Development)
As part of SSLab, you’ll also encounter a technique I am currently developing:
Pulp-painted animation — an approach where the image and the surface are created simultaneously, allowing material and motion to emerge together.
This reflects the core of the program:
process and outcome are interconnected
systems evolve through experimentation
making and thinking happen at the same time
What you leave with
By the end of SSLab, you will have:
a repeatable creative system
a connected body of work across mediums
a clearer understanding of how your practice operates
a documented process you can continue independently
stronger capacity for observation, iteration, and refinement
Beyond the Studio
Depending on cohort flow , sessions may also include:
Gallery visits and analysis
Conversations with practicing artists
Grant writing support
These experiences extend the program beyond the studio and into real-world observation and context
Recommended Reading
These books inform the approach you’ll experience in SSLab, offering insight into creative systems, deep practice, mindset, observation, and flow:
The Talent Code – Daniel Coyle
Explore how deep practice, ignition, and master coaching shape skill development.Range – David Epstein
Discover why diverse experiences and cross-disciplinary learning enhance creativity and problem-solving.Grit – Angela Duckworth
Learn the science of perseverance and passion in long-term creative pursuits.Flow – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Understand the conditions for optimal experience and sustained engagement in making.The Art of Impossible – Steven Kotler
Practical strategies to leverage flow, motivation, and iterative learning for achieving high-level creative and professional goals.The Formula – Albert-László Barabási
Dive into the networks and patterns that influence success in creative fields.Catching the Big Fish – David Lynch
Gain perspective on meditation, intuition, and the creative process.Becoming an Artist – Ellen Langer
Investigate mindful observation and presence in the act of making.Thinking fast thinking slow- Daniel Kahneman
Explore how intuition, perception, and deliberate reasoning shape decision-making, creativity, and the way we interpret the world.
The Wave in the Mind – Ursula K. Le Guin
Reflect on imagination, observation, and the artist’s vision.Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir – Akwaeke Emezi
A meditation on self, intention, and embodying your creative voice.Alchemy – Rory Sutherland
Learn how unconventional thinking and behavioral insights influence decision-making and creativity.Paradigms – Joel Barker
Engage with futures frameworks and understanding complex patterns in art and practice.Thinking in Systems – Donella Meadows
A practical guide to understanding, analyzing, and designing systems—essential for creating a structured approach to making and observing work.
These readings are not mandatory—they act as a toolbox to deepen your understanding as you build your system.
Studio structure
8 weeks
2 participants only
Toronto (West End studio)
schedule coordinated individually
Investment: CA$1800 (all-inclusive)
Payment plans available
Join
June cohort: full
Fall 2026 cohort: waitlist open