Into the Archives: Artist Talk with Jamelie Hassan

Jamelie Hassan is a visual artist and activist born in London, Ontario where she is based. Since the 1970's, she has exhibited her art widely in Canada and internationally while also practicing as a lecturer, writer, and independent curator. In 2001 she was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts.

With roots in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon, Jamelie’s career developed as she navigated her understanding of the cultural marginalization of diasporic communities. The approach she takes to her work engages the fractures of colonialism while also nurturing spaces for alternative cultural life in London and beyond. Beginning with Jamelie’s reflections as an early and distinguished Muslim Canadian artist, Jamelie will also share her personal journey archiving and working with archives. Most recently, alongside her siblings, Jamelie has been recovering records and stories tied to her family’s migration to the Americas via personal collections and the public record. This includes the publication of by Jamelie’s brother, Dr. Salah D. Hassan, Director of Global Studies at Michigan State University.

This program is supported by the Jackman Humanities Program for the Arts, 2025/26.

Bios:

The is a participatory archive uniquely designed to document and share the history of Muslims across Canada. We preserve the history and documentary heritage of Muslims in Canada through acquiring, organizing, preserving, and making accessible records of and about Canadian Muslim individuals and organizations.

is a visual artist and activist based in London, Ontario. Since the 1970's, she has exhibited widely in Canada and internationally. She is also active as a lecturer, writer and independent curator and has travelled and worked within Canada and internationally. In 2001 she was awarded the Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts. In 1993 she received the “Canada 125 ” Medal for outstanding community service. Her commitment to community and public space has involved highly diverse sites. Her community work has included working in the artist-run centres throughout the 1970's and 1980's to involvement in the 1990's in increasingly national and international contexts. She was selected to be one of the artists to work with the advisory team of consultants and architects, in dialogue with the complex of communities affected by the LRT (Light Rapid Transit) on Spadina Avenue in Toronto, developing concepts and sites for public art.

In 2001 she participated in workshops in developing programs and display within the newly constructed Museum of World Culture, University of Goteborg, Goteborg, Sweden.She has served as a member of advisory panels and art juries for the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts and she served as a member on the advisory committee for the “Minister’s Forum on Culture & Diversity” held in April 2003 at the Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Que. She is co-founder with Ron Benner of the not for profit, artist-run centre, the Embassy Cultural House (1983-1990/2020-ongoing.) She is the recipient of honorary doctorate from OCAD University (2019) and Western University (2023).

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