Artist Aquil Virani paints at Special Olympics Canada fundraising gala.

I was invited by the Idea Hunter – a leader in the Canadian events industry – to paint a live artwork at the Limitless Gala in downtown Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York. The image we developed with the client features 3 Special Olympics athletes in their moment of glory on the podium. The varying responses to “What do the Special Olympics mean to you?” were wonderfully diverse and heart-warming to read.

This was a very special event.

Artist Aquil Virani creates collaborative artwork at #wcdp2017

At #wcdp2017, Aquil Virani integrated participant responses into a collaborative artwork. The award-winning artist asked over 800 delegates, “What is the most impactful action taking place in your country or community?” He created a 5-by-9-foot painting that was unveiled at the closing ceremonies of the World Conference on Drowning Prevention 2017 in Vancouver.

Artist Aquil Virani creates collaborative artwork with Paul Smith’s freshmen.

Last year, for the 4th year in a row, Paul Smith’s College invited me to visit the campus in upstate New York to create a collaborative art project with about 300 incoming freshmen during Welcome Week 2016.

This year, the latest 4 x 6 foot painting will be unveiled as the latest “We Are All Artists” project on Tuesday, September 5th at the First Year Convocation, taking place at the Buxton Annex on Paul Smith College’s campus.

Click here to check out the 2015 video.

Artist Aquil Virani creates live painting for NHL’s Ottawa Senators.

The Senators invited me to their 2016 Fan Fest to produce an interactive painting. We asked fans, “What do you love most about your Ottawa Senators?” and re-wrote their responses into a section of the acrylic and aerosol painting. The artwork features #9 Bobby Ryan, #25 Chris Neil, #65 Erik Karlsson, and #7 Kyle Turris.

Artist Aquil Virani creates collaborative painting at TEDxMontreal.

Over 600 TEDx attendees were invited to participate in a communal artwork.

Participants answered the open-ended question, “What defines your perspective?” and watched as their responses were integrated into the live, collaborative painting throughout the day. The painting was purchased immediately – as soon as it was unveiled.

McGill’s Artful Inquiry Symposium 2016

While I was leaving the house on Saturday to check out this full-day conference, I figured I should maybe grab my camcorder. When I arrived, the organizers were delighted. They asked me to use it as much as I could after previous photography/videography plans had fallen through. This is what I threw together.

If you have any questions about the video, my work, or anything else, send me an email at aquilvirani[at]gmail(dot)com.

Artist Aquil Virani creates “Nature” painting.

The human figure is rendered here in the same style as the background.

It’s an artistic decision that says “We are one with nature.” Scientifically, we’re made of the same molecules. Spiritually, we’re made of the same energy. That idea resonates with a ton of Canadians. That’s why we featured it in our Canada’s Self Portrait exhibit at Galerie Mile-End in Montreal.

Artist Aquil Virani creates collaborative artwork at Shawn & Mitch’s wedding.

Friends and family wrote their best advice for a happy marriage, watching as it was integrated into a live painting of the couple. I tried my best to do justice to the beautiful faces of the newlyweds.

From Mitch: “We reached out to Aquil to help create a special and unique artistic moment for our wedding. What he delivered went above and beyond what we ever could have imagined. Aquil was so gracious, patient, creative, and attentive during the planning. His work during the wedding captivated our guests and invited them to co-create the artwork and share in the moment.”

“We are absolutely in love with what Aquil created for us. Both the piece and its story will forever remain very meaningful to us.”

Artist Aquil Virani creates detailed drawings using whatever comes to mind.

Using only a ball-point pen and a bit of coloured paint, the drawing is formed, stroke by stroke.

It’s a painstaking process that require plenty of patience. But once completed, the intricate images weave in and out of each other. There’s always something new to look at.

This is a commissioned screenprint I made for a donor to Canada’s Self Portrait.

After our fundraising campaign for our coast-to-coast trip across Canada, we promised to thank some of our major sponsors and donors with customized artworks. I learned through a few conversations that our Cape Bretonese donor, Anna-Marie, loved the Three Sisters mountain range in Canmore, Alberta. With three older brothers, it reminded her of them, standing tall, together. We surprised her with a set of prints during our exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax.