#MYPANDEMICSTORY (commissioned work for the group exhibition), curated by Justin Jennings
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
23 October 2021 - 5 September 2022

#MyPandemicStory was a free exhibition at the Bloor Street entrance of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), with artwork submitted by artists under the age of 18. As the youth expressed their life-changing experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ene Agi’s commissioned illustrations guided visitors through the lively space while connecting the wide-ranging themes of the collection.

Both leading and ending the journey, from either side of the glass window, a comic character peers out to Toronto with their chin on their palms, as their unrestrained thoughts carry their pigtails up and away. Beyond the confines of the window frame, their unruly pandemic hair swirls along the interior walls and pillars of the Crystal, conveying the rollercoaster of emotions that have arisen for children and adults alike during these challenging times, while morphing to the moods of the nearest pieces.

The character in the window is the first artwork to be given this space, marking the effort to bring softness to the angular architecture and new life to the institution. *Photos of select illustrations above. More photos to come.*