King mural speaks volumes

By Mark Pavilons

Current events led a Vaughan man to create something special in King City.
Mahyar Amiri painted a large mural near the King City GO station, reflecting both the pandemic and racism – two issues on everyone's mind lately.
He said he wanted to create something to depict what's happening in the world today. The gloved white and black hands are trying to come together, but can't because of COVID-19. The “Creation of Peace” takes some flavour from Michaelangelo's Creation of Adam, from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Amiri said he received a lot of praise for the piece, including kind words from King Mayor Steve Pellegini, who called it “beautiful.” Many residents stopped by when Amiri was painting the mural, offering their support.
Amiri lived in King City for several years and attended King City Secondary.
He said it's important to stand up for what we believe in. He grew up in a public school system where every kid on the playground was friends with one another and “love was prevalent.”
“This pandemic and recent tragedy has taken a huge toll on society and forced us to change once again for the better,” he said. “I couldn't think of a better way of participating in this change, so I decided to paint this mural. I will let it speak for itself.”
This is his second mural and he just can't wait to do more.
Amiri's style is heavily inspired by contemporary brand culture and design. His works are summarized through a group of collections that each utilize different mediums and consist of different genres of art. Working primarily on canvas, the artist finishes each piece with dynamic gestures in paint, resin and neon, giving each piece its unique and contemporary finish. Carrying his signature, Amiri, meaning “the one who will never die,” the works capture what is iconic and eternal in our society today.
You can see his work at @itsmahyar on Instagram and his website, www.notart.ca.