Aquil Virani

Aquil Virani is a Canadian visual artist known for his diverse and socially conscious artistic practice.13 Born in British Columbia and currently based in Toronto, Virani is a self-taught artist whose work spans multiple mediums and techniques.23

Artistic Approach

Virani's artistic practice is characterized by:

• Collaborative projects: He often engages communities in participatory art processes.18
• Mixed media: His work combines painting, drawing, filmmaking, writing, graphic design, and installation art.18
• Social activism: Virani creates socially-conscious art that blurs the line between art and activism.2

Notable Characteristics

• Cultural background: Virani is a mixed-race Ismaili Muslim artist of Indian and French heritage.7
• Education: While self-taught in art, he has pursued formal education, mentioning completion of a program by September 2021.7
• Artistic exploration: Virani experiments with different color palettes and techniques to evoke various moods in his work.4

Recent Projects

One of Virani's recent projects involves creating Christmas-style ornaments that honor Ismaili Muslim celebrations called Khushali (or Khushiali).5 This project demonstrates his interest in exploring and representing his cultural heritage through art.

Aquil Virani views his role as an "artist in society" as central to his practice, using various mediums including acrylic and spray paint, as well as expanding into short films, graphic design, and installations.6