Montreal-based artist, PONY (Gabrielle Laïla Tittley), is known for her fun and colourful characters, murals, clothing designs, and video directing. Her latest collaboration with Samsung brings her vibrant work to Toronto. The Samsung Galaxy Gift Studio pop up experience located at the Holiday Hills STACKT Market invites the public to visit and create their own take away giftable item at this inspiring space.
PONY’s colourful and playful characters are fun but were also created with meaningful purpose with a side of emotional support. Each character has their very personality and are known to resonate with her fans. Her first character, Mr. Lonely, became a symbol for positivity. He was relatable for people who were working on themselves and being the best they could be. The character became popular especially when the pandemic had many feeling lost and isolated. A time when we were all just trying to do our best. “A lot of people felt a little bit disconnected and even now when the world isn’t exactly in the brightest light. I wanted these little characters to have a positive presence in our lives. To find that comfort wherever you can,” said Pony.
She created the character Kinzu for the purpose of helping us deal with gentle grief. “Kinzu is about dealing with loss whether it’s loss of a a loved one, a job, a friendship, or heartbreak,” said Pony. It’s that comfort you can come home to.
AnxiYeti is the one I was drawn to the most at the pop up experience. This character is huggable and loveable with its oversized body and long soft arms. Pony mentioned this one has been very popular and was created as a stress-reliever.
The character Sponji is one that absorbs what you need to let go of. She described it as a character that is sensitive and perfect for those who are overwhelmed.
For this collaboration with Samsung, Pony worked closely with them and they gave her creative freedom. “As an artist, I’ve been honestly lucky. They know my style and understand the conversations we are all having.”
PONY created Taby, a Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra inspired character, exclusively for this activation. Using the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Sketch to Image has been a fun way to integrate AI into her work. Taby is featured throughout the experience and is also on the greeting card that guests can take for free with their unique gifts that they make.
So, I had to ask PONY, how she would define her work.
“I think it’s fun and my characters attract the eye. People immediate see that my work is cute and fun. But then when you look a little bit closer, and spend a little bit more time exploring the artwork or the characters, you’re gonna discover layers. You might even discover something that you will really connect with. There are strong messages behind the artwork and I like to express messages of hope. That’s what’s important to me. It’s what I actually need in my life and art that I’m attracted to, you know, just like songs that I’m attracted to. My work is about healing. We all need some healing. I think we all need a little positivity in our lives.”
At the pop-up, attendees will be able to create art using the Galaxy Tab S10 Series and then select a giftable merch item to have it instantly printed on (tote bag, T-shirt, ornament,or poster)
You will also have the opportunity to learn how to use the Galaxy AI’s high-tech features to unlock your creativity with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Series devices.
Some features that caught my attention:
-Use Circle to Search with Google to instantly search for inspiration
-Quick Share to share designs with their personal devices or others at the pop-up
-Generative Edit and Edit Suggestions to move objects within photos and automatically receive enhancement recommendations
After creating the design, you will be able to select a giftable merch item to print on-site for the perfect personalized holiday gift!
The Samsung Galaxy Gift Studio is open to the public until December 22 (12 noon till 8 pm but closed Mondays) at Holiday Hills at STACKT (28 Bathurst Street, Toronto)