Toronto artist goes viral for painting gorgeous scene on TTC subway train
Since 2018, artist Nile has been wowing Toronto residents and tourists with his intricate paintings in high-traffic areas of the city, including Yonge-Dundas Square, Yorkville, St. Lawrence Market, Kensington Market, High Park, and most recently, the TTC.
Nile first started his artistic journey with acrylic paint, before shifting to oil painting in 2022. The 18-year-old artist of Sudanese descent now studies material art and design at OCAD University.
Creating detailed artwork in the streets since he was 12 years old, Nile is definitely no stranger to live painting, and his latest project took him inside a TTC subway car.
“The reason why I decided to paint on the TTC is to get an experience of how things act, how things change such as light, going in the tunnel, going out the tunnel,” Nile told blogTO.
“Most importantly, I wanted people to be a part of it, to see the process. The painting is not only about me or one subject, it represents the people and their livelihood.”
On a Saturday afternoon, Nile boarded a train at the TTC’s Sheppard-Yonge subway station and set up his easel once he arrived at Finch station.
“I did a bunch of sketches, thumbnails, and planning before I went and executed it on the TTC,” Nile explained.
From noon to 6 pm, the artist meticulously painted the inside of the subway car on a canvas, with curious commuters gathering around him to catch a peek of every brush stroke.
Nile says a few TTC supervisors and even a special constable gathered around him at one point, leading him to pause and ask if he needed to get off the train. Luckily, he was encouraged to carry on by the constable, who told him, “I love your painting.”
The artist estimates he rode the TTC’s Line 1 eight times back and forth — with a subway closure preventing him from getting past St. Andrew subway station.
A TikTok of Nile in the midst of his project also went viral, amassing over 70,000 views and 12,000 likes in the span of just a few days.
The young artist is currently making multiple pieces related to daily life in Toronto, including depictions of public transportation and the TTC. Nile’s past work also includes paintings of the TTC’s 510 Spadina streetcar during the day, at night, and at sunset.
With future plans to paint the interior of Bay subway station, as well as commuters rushing to catch a train on Line 4, Nile says he eventually hopes to showcase all of his transit-related artwork at an exhibit at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, where those interested can hopefully purchase his art.
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