Sami McKay is a mixed media artist, as well as a writer based in Ontario. Her artwork is abstract and has multiple layered meanings and symbolism. Mixing different mediums her goal is to share the complexity along with the rawness that is life.
Artist Introduction -
"My name is Sami McKay. I'm a mixed media artist from Hamilton, Ontario Canada. I've been making art my whole life but making mix media art for about a year and a half maybe a little bit more than that."
"Don't touch" Sami Mckay X Kancan 2025
What does denim mean to you?
"Denim means versatility. It's a textile to people it has, its roots in history with the working class. It's now expanded to all corners of society. It's a fabric that shows both connection through textile and also individuality in its use through [..] culture. Denim has always meant durability and change, and it transcends even its own barriers. It doesn't just need to be used in clothing it can be used in so many different ways and represent so many different things."
What do you think about when creating art?
"I am not thinking about much when I create but I do think quite a lot after. I always say that the piece says more to me than I say to it. My influence in the messaging is usually just a vibe and as it kind of comes together I'm able to learn and figure out exactly what the piece means. My thinking is really what I'm feeling as I'm creating, thinking about the music that's playing and I'm letting go of any, of the thoughts that would normally come up day to day life and just allowing myself to be in the process of creating."
What is the title of your piece?
Don't Touch
Why is that the name of your piece?
"I've decided to call this piece Don't touch, which is kind of funny because like most of my pieces it's really fun to touch. As soon as I put the chicken wire on there and the dog kind of the entire energy kind of felt solidified once the wire was on there. Don't touch, feel free to touch it."
What medium did you use?
"I used mixed media on canvas. There's a trillion and one mediums on there."
The piece includes the following, acrylic, paper, Oil pastel, ribbon, chicken wire, nails, faux pearls, chain, lace, thread, denim.
What advice do you give to inspiring artist?
"Find a reason to create or consume creations and lean on that reason as often as you can. Whether its creative expression, the practice of using your hands, or just the consumption of another's craft. Give yourself a reason to tune out the world to dive into your internal world and to explore. Art is transformative, for both the creator and the viewer so giving yourself any reason to join that process is necessary".
Inspiration behind the project -
"Well, its denim of course. My inspiration really came from the hue of the jeans. I really found it quite easy to fill in what I wanted this piece to look like once I saw, especially the very, very dark wash. I had a sense of what I wanted this to look like. The dogs came pretty much instantaneously and then everything came around the dogs."
