June Clark: A Legacy in Photos

This highly anticipated exhibition and publication, planned for Fall 2026 and extending into 2027, will celebrate the life’s work of one of Toronto’s most esteemed artists.

With a distinguished 50-year career, June Clark is finally receiving the international recognition she deserves. Recently shortlisted for the prestigious 2024 Sobey Award and celebrated for her solo exhibitions, Witness at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery and Unrequited Love at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Clark’s journey is a testament to resilience and artistic evolution.

Magenta and Daniel Faria Gallery are embarking on a transformative initiative that will not only preserve Clark’s black-and-white negatives but also create an invaluable educational experience. This project invites MFA students to gain hands-on experience in archival management and digital preservation, working alongside seasoned mentors. Through this, Clark’s archive will be made accessible to future generations of art enthusiasts, scholars, and cultural institutions.

Born in 1941, Toronto-based artist June Clark has spent decades creating photography, sculpture, and collage. Her deeply autobiographical works explore history, memory, and identity, shaped by her childhood in Harlem and her migration to Canada.

While Clark’s personal quest for belonging runs throughout her work, her art also speaks to universal questions of identity in a fragmented world. Her Harlem upbringing offers a distinctive lens on contemporary life, revealing how the past informs our understanding of the present. Working across various media—including photography, etching, collage, sculpture, and installation—Clark’s practice is a profound dialogue between her personal and collective experiences.

Though her artistic career spans over 40 years, much of Clark’s extensive archive of black-and-white negatives remains unsorted and undocumented. These thousands of unseen negatives capture a bygone Toronto, documenting its diverse immigrant communities and people of color, as well as Clark’s personal travels to Harlem, Paris, Cuba, and beyond. Digitizing this archive is crucial to future exhibitions, publications, and public engagement.

At the heart of this initiative is the digitization of Clark’s archive—an essential step in preserving these historical treasures for future generations. By equipping students with essential skills in curation and archival management, we are paving the way for the next generation of arts professionals while preserving the rich history embedded in Clark’s work.

We are excited to celebrate June Clark and her remarkable legacy—stay tuned for more updates on this inspiring collaboration.

To read more about June Clark and her latest exhibitions please visit: https://danielfariagallery.com/artists/june-clark