Bio

Mirna Chacín is a Venezuelan-born Canadian visual artist who immigrated to Canada, looking for the inclusion and equality that Canada grants her LGBTQ2+ community.

In 2011, before immigrating, her Alma Mater, The University of Zulia (LUZ), awarded Mirna The Francisco Hung's Gold Medal  for her artistic achievements in Venezuela. 

In Toronto, Mirna was  recipient of The Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship grant  by Toronto Arts Council. The  Ontario Art CouncilToronto Arts Foundation and RBC Arts Access Found  founded some of her solo and collective exhibitions in Ontario. 

In 2017 she was awarded the Community Impact Award  by The Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto for her outstanding contributions in telling the stories of newcomer inclusion through photography

Since the 1990's, Mirna artwork has been shown in art galleries and museums in Venezuela, across Latin America, Italy, and Canada.  Most recently collective shows:  “Subject to Change Geographies of Belongings”  and “Sons of The Sun"  

 You might pay a  visit to  “Where the Sun Rises,” , her ongoing public solo exhibition in downtown Toronto. The exhibit is part of   The Patch Project , commissioned by Menkes Developments. 

Mirna is the co-founder photographer and editor of the online Spanish language cultural magazine Toronto Enterois a member of Neighborhood Arts Network, Sur GalleryThe Patch Project,and Gallery 44  


Solo Exhibitions

2019  Where The Sun RisesPublic Exhibition through Construction Hoarding curates by The Step Initiative for the Patch Project, 150 Queens Quay , Toronto, Canada

2017 Where The Sun Rises, Pop-up Exhibition and video mapping projection at Sur Gallery, Toronto, Canada

2014 The Paraguaná ProjectMuseum of Contemporary Art of Zulia (MACZUL) Maracaibo, Venezuela

2013 ExuberanceMimico Centennial Library Branch, Etobicoke, Canada

2001 The Visitors, Art Gallery Carmona, Barquisimeto, Venezuela

2000 The Visitors, Art Center of Maracaibo Lia Bermudez (CAMLB), Maracaibo, Venezuela

1993 A Bikes’ TalePhotography Gallery, French Alliance of Caracas, Venezuela

1992 A Bikes’ Tale, Centro de Bellas Artes, Maracaibo. Venezuela

1991 A Bikes’ Tale, Il Sigilio, Art Gallery, Padua, Italy

1993 Voyage Made ClearMuseum of Bellas Artes, Maracaibo, Venezuela

1991 Voyage Made ClearThe Photography Room at the Athenaeum of Caracas, Venezuela

1991 Voyage Made ClearGallery of Notaries, Montevideo, Uruguay

1992 DwellingPhotofolie France. Châlons-en-Champagne, France

1990 DwellingIl Sigilo Gallery, Padua, Italy

1990 DwellingGallery of The Notaries, Montevideo, Uruguay

1989 DwellingGallery of Los Espacios Cálidos, Athenaeum of Caracas. Venezuela

Collectives

2021.09-2021-12, Souls On Hold as part of AtworxTO's  HOME (land)  collective curated by Claudia Arana. AtworxTO CLOVERDALE Hub, Etobicoke. On.

2020-08  Unattended Requiem as part of  Confined Bodies at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Zulia, Venezuela.

2019 Subject to change, Arts Etobicoke’s Storefront Gallery, Scotia Bank Contact Photography Festival. Toronto, Canada

2019 Geography of Belongings, Toronto Arts Council & City of Toronto, City Hall, Toronto, Canada

2019 Sons of The Sun,  Month of Photography Los Angeles

2018 Equity Through Emergence, Scarborough Arts’ Scarborough, Canada

2018 TD Sunfest’s Colores de Latinoamérica, 11th edition The Arts Project Gallery, London, Canada

2018 I Live Here, Arts Etobicoke’s Storefront Gallery, Etobicoke, Canada

2017 TD Sunfest’s Colores de Latinoamérica, 10th edition, The Arts Project Gallery, London, Canada

2014 Out of the Wall, Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary photography, Toronto, Canada

2013 Photopia, Gallery 44, Centre for Contemporary photography, Toronto, Canada

2010 The Vital Lake, Art Center of Maracaibo Lia Bermudez (CAMLB), Maracaibo, Venezuela

2009 Maracaibo the Snapshot City, Seven Contemporary Visions, Art Center of Maracaibo Lia Bermudez (CAMLB), Maracaibo, Venezuela

2003 Descubrimientos, Photo España, Madrid, Spain 

1994 Death of Desire, Photography Gallery of the French Alliance of Caracas, Venezuela

1992 Photofolie, Premiere Fête de la Photographie, Châlons-en-Champagne, France


Lectures

2020  “From Maracaibo to Toronto” Spanish Students Class of The University of Toronto  

2020 “The Artist-Entrepreneur” for Sur’s Artist Mentorship Program at Sur Gallery, Toronto

2019  “Where The Sun Rises”, Artist talk at Art hub 29, Toronto, Canada

2019 “Subject to Change”, Artist talk, at  The Storefront Gallery. Etobicoke, Canada

2018 “Creating Space for Mental Health” Workman Arts Symposium” Guess Artist 

2015 Creative Potluck, Pecha-Kucha style presentation at The Neighborhood Arts Network:

2015 “Stories Untold” newcomer artist experiences, Paralia Arts Networking and West End 

2014 “Paraguaná Project” Artist Talk at The Museum of Contemporary Art of Zulia (MACZUL) Venezuela

Awards & Recognitions

2018 RBC Mentorship Award recipient

2018 RBC Arts Access Fund recipient

2018 Exhibition Assistance Grant, Ontario Arts Council

2017 RBC Arts Access Fund recipient

2017 Community Impact Award, The Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto, Canada

2017 Newcomer and Refugee Artist Mentorship Grant recipient from the Toronto Arts Council

2016 Patch Artist, The Patch Project Toronto, Canada

2011 Gold Medal & Artistic Merit Order: “Francisco Hung Bracho” from The University of Zulia (LUZ), Maracaibo, Venezuela

1996 First Prize in Fine Art photography “Pedro Villasmil” at III Salon of Visual Arts, Venezuela

1992 First Prize in photography, “La Cittá degli Bambini”, UNICEF Italy

1986 First Prize in Fine Art Photography, II Biennial of Visual Arts "City of Maracaibo", Venezuela

Publications

2019 Where The Sun Rises, FanZine limited edition

2013 El Universal / Mirada expuesta, Mirna Chacin“Love Beyond Borders”, P. 3 Venezuela

2012 The Applied Arts Wire/ “Mirna Chacín “Light in black and white”, The Applied Arts Wire is the daily blog from Applied Arts Magazine, Canada

2009 Estampas Zulianas Magazine: Mirna Chacin, Entre el Amor y la libertad. May issue. P 10-11 Maracaibo - Venezuela

1997 Six photographers, six visions (Seis fotógrafos, seis visiones).

Mirna Chacín: “When the Life becomes Light”. Book edited by The University of Zulia, Faculty of Humanities. P.35 - 50, Venezuela



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