Monica Cuyno

Filipino Canadian | 22 y.o | she/her

About Me

Monica Cuyno is a Filipino-Canadian visual and digital artist situated in Toronto, Ontario. She is a graduate of Humber Polytechnic’s Visual and Digital Arts program, and was self taught before joining the program. She employs a variety of mediums such as oil, acrylic and digital with proficiency and continues to hone her craft by constantly creating new pieces.Her work has been featured in different art galleries including the In-Situ Multi-Arts Festival, held in the Small Arms Inspection Building, and the Humber Galleries. Monica won an award for the Humber Student Art Show and continues to showcase her work through private commissions.From working for the In-Situ Multi-Arts Festival and the Humber Galleries, she is familiar with curation and the process of installation. She is currently working on animations and practicing the fundamentals of the art form. With several projects underway, she uses what she’s learned as a means to improve each time.

Artist Statement

I have a complicated relationship with art, oscillating between obsession and indifference. On one hand, I despise it; it is the bane of my existence, while simultaneously the reason I live. Whether my art is good or not is entirely irrelevant. If I created it then that means it matters enough to me that I am willing to bring it into existence. Though an exhausting experience, there is unimaginable joy in being able to produce the things I want. I believe that art is an extension of the self; to look at one’s art is to bear one’s soul to the viewer. It asks the question: “Why would someone make this?”—and is just as entertaining as the art itself.My strong feelings are the main inspiration for my work. The feeling that I create most from is desperation. Desperation to be seen, to be loved, to live. Feelings are liquid: prone to change states, which is what makes it so interesting to capture it onto a medium for all to see. I like to use all forms of media in order to create art: namely digital, oil, and acrylic. I believe how one uses the media can be just as important as the content itself. I prefer digital art best in order to reach a wider online audience of viewers and creators. I also have a guilty pleasure for physical installations. Art that doesn’t have a canvas, that has texture and feel, is all the more difficult yet expresses something so personal.Currently, I am an unpolished blade: rough to use and elementary. While the art I create is based on my interests, I am looking to grow. My works are like budding plants, inexperienced and in need of care. I have to step outside my comfort zone to collaborate with my audience. My skills will be sharpened as I try different things. With time, I will be better acquainted with where I must bend in order to grow further.

Curriculum Vitae

TORONTO, ON.
[email protected]
MONICA CUYNOSKILLS
Clip Studio Paint, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Acrylic Painting, Oil PaintingEDUCATION
Humber Polytechnic, 2026 — Visual and Digital Art Program
MAY 2026, TORONTO, ON.EXHIBITIONS
InSitu Multi-Arts Festival, Small Arms Inspection Building — Mississauga
MARCH 2024
Decagram Group Exhibition, Humber Art Galleries — Toronto
APRIL 2025
Humber Art Show, Humber Art Galleries — Toronto
SPRING 2024VOLUNTEER WORK
InSitu Multi-Arts Festival, Small Arms Inspection Building — Mississauga
MARCH 2024
Decagram Group Exhibition, Humber Art Galleries — Toronto
APRIL 2025AWARDS
HUMBER ART SHOW
Third Place - Other MediaCOLLECTIONS
Private Commissions — Toronto, ON.