Category: Kensington Market

A Cat for Gigi

On By ResaIn Cats, Kensington Market2 Comments

Years ago, I was looking for cat street art for Gigi – Rethinking Life.

Someone told me about this new garage door with a tiger on it, in an alley near Kensington Market.

It took about 3 hours of alley grid walking, but I found it!

Unfortunately, it had already been severely defaced with tags. No cat for Gigi!

A few days ago, I was in the area, and went through the alley as a long cut to the streetcar stop.

OMG! The Tiger had been restored!

Pics taken by Resa – June 13, 2025

Toronto, Canada

The Artist:

Poetess Nouveau

On By ResaIn Kensington Market, Murals139 Comments

When I laid eyes on this exquisite mural, I immediately thought of poetess Holly – House of Heart.

If you don’t know her bewitching metaphoric prowess, you are missing out!

Found in Kensington Market, this remake of Kensington Flower Girl , (posted in 2015) has achieved a much enhanced romantic quality.

The bigger it gets, the better it gets!

Amazing what can be painted on the side of an old house.

A perfect song for this Holly dedicated post is Suzanne by Leonard Cohen, but I have already posted it for her several times.

So, I went behind a door that’s not a door, but a metaphor. This song was there.

No one can stand on a piano and sing like Steve Tyler.

Pics taken by Resa – March 19, 2025

Toronto, Canada

The Artists:

Ancient China – Warriors, Wise Man, 2 Beauties, (Pig & Goose)

On By ResaIn Kensington Market, Murals88 Comments

I found this in spring 2023. This mural runs along crumbling walls in an alley in Kensington Market.

Oddly, this pig is the first piece. Thinking about it, it seems to be part of the mural. Anyway, I decided to open with the above, which is third, working left to right.I like it best of the 3.

A Wise  man?

More Warriors

A goose

OUCH!

….and the beauties.

Pics taken by Resa – May 15, 2023

Toronto, Canada

The Artist:

This is what I saw when I first stumbled upon the mural.

Mr. Rapscallion

On By ResaIn Kensington Market96 Comments

Toronto is reputedly the Raccoon Capital of the world.

True, there is the issue of when they get into your attic, and set up housekeeping. They can chew wires and destroy structure. They can carry rabies and disease dangerous to humans.

Still, they are crazy cute (especially the young ones). Okay, they eat your garbage, but isn’t that better than land fill?

I found this little muffin head bandit in Kensington Market. He was trying to get across to another trash bin. There were a gathering of people watching. You’d think they never seen a wild urban animal before. City folk!

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I shot this on a different day. I love how the lighting brought out the blue.

Pics taken by Resa – May 23 & July 3 & September 10, 2023

Toronto, Canada

The Artist: (The Half Decent)

Nina Simone

On By ResaIn Kensington Market106 Comments

In Kensington Market, on Augusta Avenue.

Took me ages to get the few shots I did. The tourists were out in full force, and I had to wait on many walking by.

There was a sun issue as well. It was peeking over the top of the building, making streaks and blinding me. So I also waited for clouds to come.

The message:

Pics taken by Resa – August 2, 2022

Toronto Canada

The Artist:

Debris Darling

On By ResaIn Graffiti Art, Kensington Market106 Comments

She’s a pretty face.

I can’t believe I hadn’t found this before, on one of my many trips to Kensington Market.

It’s obviously several years old, and I’ve been down the alley a few times.

Ah, but I hadn’t turned the corner in the alley, before.

Why? I figure all those black plastic rat traps put me off. However, now with Toronto’s new mushroomed rat problem, I have gotten used to seeing them run by, in the daytime.

I’m glad I found her. She’s a darling, and there is something satisfying about finding treasure in the trash.

Pics taken by Resa – August 2, 2022

Toronto, Canada

The artist:

As I exited the alley, I noticed the shop on the corner had 2 mandala wall hangings for sale. I immediately thought of Graham Stephan – Mandala Vihara