MRL™ creates relatable mural experiences that blend diverse perspectives and aesthetics with style and humour.
Fusing backgrounds in Fine Art, Illustration and design, MRL™’s approach is multilayered and research-oriented.
MRL™ creates relatable mural experiences that blend diverse perspectives and aesthetics with style and humour.
Fusing backgrounds in Fine Art, Illustration and design, MRL™’s approach is multilayered and research-oriented.
St-Clair West is one of Toronto’s emerging neighbourhoods, with rich and vibrant histories. MRL™ partnered with Akin Projects and Canderel Residential to create a mural that represents the neighbourhood’s past, present and future through a mix of historical realism, graphic symbolism and dynamic typography. The final piece fuses hand painting, stencil and aerosol techniques harmoniously.
St-Clair West is one of Toronto’s emerging neighbourhoods, with rich and vibrant histories. MRL™ partnered with Akin Projects and Canderel Residential to create a mural that represents the neighbourhood’s past, present and future through a mix of historical realism, graphic symbolism and dynamic typography. The final piece fuses hand painting, stencil and aerosol techniques harmoniously.
(Updates Soon!)
The Transition Became Our Own (2019)
Brunch (2019)
Peep II (2019)
Of Water & the Spirit (2018)
Peep (2017)
MRL™ work independently and collectively on a range of mural, street and public art projects.
MRL™ is a contraction of “Mural Team”—the name reflects our belief in collaboration and working together. It’s also a pun on corporate structure, a nod to the fact that this collective practice is an entity aside from our Individual endeavours.
Leone, Liang and Nuff met during a year-long studio residency at Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), where they collaborated on An Index (a group show), as well as installations and activations for Night Visions (an all-dark party).
In Summer 2019, the three completed Mural Routes’ Mural Art Career and Development (MACD) programme, receiving training in mural production, project management, community engagement, maintenance, health and safety, and collaboration. Having graduated with Platinum certification, they have since gone on to complete multiple mural projects as lead artists, assistants, painters and community facilitators.
Our previous mural experience includes neighbourhood revitalization projects; from our Spirit of St.Clair mural for developer Canderel (in partnership with Akin Projects) to our experience assisting on the Streetcar Murals as part of the City of Toronto’s King Street Pilot project. Projects like Peep I&II take a street art approach to playful dialogue with onlookers.
We come from diverse professional and academic backgrounds in Fine Art, Illustration and Design. We blend these perspectives as well as our individual aesthetic and stylistic approaches to create cohesive but multifaceted works that combine traditional and contemporary themes.
We believe the key to a successful mural lies in the site's geography, cultures, and histories. We aim to reflect and respect the communities we’ve been invited into with our contributions. We take special interest in the capacity for street and public art to celebrate community, inspire pride and energise those who interact with it.
Leone uses vivid palettes, layering and distortion to create surreal visuals that connect on a visceral level. Bold organic forms often feature in her pieces, swaying and wavering to lead the eye.
A scholar of streetscapes, Liang finds meaningful moments in time and place. His contemporary, realist style and eye for detail make for evocative renderings of even the most mundane settings.
A global citizen, Nuff crosses disciplines like he crosses borders. He creates street art, spatial installations, interactive new media and commercial design, all rooted in graphic design sensibilities.