This Wednesday, we’re putting a #ScarboroughSpotlight on emerging queer Haitian-American painter, Jega Delisca. 

Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Scarborough grown, Jega’s work explores intimate relationships between him and his community, with close friends, family and past partners as his primary subjects. 

Delisca is a graduate of Wexford Collegiate Arts High School. In 2016, he founded the Carefree Black Boy Project, an arts and cultural organization committed to rethinking and expanding conventional notions of Black masculinity. Most recently Jega has been involved in the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Youth Council where he is the organizer of the Scarborough Artist Walk, an outdoor walking tour of Scarborough’s graffiti led by local artist Jehiel.

We’re so pleased to have Jega on the Scarborough Arts team as the EAST H.E.A.R.T Youth Coordinator, putting together arts and well being workshops for queer youth across Scarborough. See the work of last year’s EAST Zine’s cohort at scarborougharts.com/programs/east-zines and stay tuned for updates on when our next EAST Zines program begins again. 

Pieces from Jega’s first solo exhibition with the Glory Hole and Whippersnapper Gallery, Don’t Go Unspoken, will also be available to view as a part of Scarborough Arts’ exhibition, Dear Queer Scarborough, at the Clark Centre of the Arts. This exhibition will be available to view for the public in January. 

You can view more of Jega’s work at jegadelisca.com or by following him on Instagram at @jegasdeli.