By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
The local arts scene in Halton Hills is finding a whimsical yet profound voice in the work of Chris Cachia.
Currently featured in the Mayor’s Showcase at town hall (1 Halton Hills Dr., Georgetown), Cachia’s work blends “magical realism” with deep reflections on identity, community and the environment.
According to Alexandra Fuller, the town’s director of communications, the Mayor’s Showcase “ensures the exhibition reflects a variety of talent within the arts community.”
For Cachia, a south Georgetown resident for the past decade, the showcase is more than just an exhibition — it is an opportunity to entrench himself in a “vibrant community of artists.”
Cachia said his work is anchored in “considerations of identity,” which he also teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University. He is a lecturer at the school’s department of sociology, as well as a learning strategist at the faculty of community services.
He said he also uses his art to frame home as a place of belonging and a space where lives can be processed.
The art style showcased in his pieces, which incorporates magical realism, strikes a balance by keeping settings realistic while incorporating “magical elements” into the everyday.
A standout piece, “Imagination Station,” depicts the Halton Hills Public Library. While the setting is familiar, Cachia said he added fantastical symbols like a dragon and an astronaut to reflect the “magic of childhood.”
“I especially thought about my children and how by going to the library, they can access all these different ideas and go on these different adventures,” Cachia explained.
A driver of his work, Cachia said, is the dismantling of the “false distinction” between high art and low art. He added that he views the historical devaluation of certain styles as “classist” and instead draws inspiration from street art, animation and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
Cachia’s piece “Northern Cardinal,” which features the official bird of Halton Hills, serves as a bridge to conversations about Indigenous rights and the lands that residents inhabit, as well as environmental sustainability.
“We’re all responsible for ethical stewardship,” he said.
Cachia said he began creating visual art in earnest during the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as drawing with his then “four- to five-year-old daughter” became a way to productively channel his energy through art.
Based on that, Cachia hopes residents “take away the idea that art can be used as a really healthy and therapeutic practice.”
For those who wish to see more of Cachia’s work, he will be participating in “The Colour of Water,” an upcoming show at the Helson Gallery (9 Church St., Georgetown).
Running from March 4 to May 10, the show focuses on the gift of water, ethical stewardship and sustainability.
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