Short Bio:
Eli Carmona holds a bachelor's degree in graphic design, a post-graduate degree in interactive media management, and has over 12 years of professional experience in Canada and El Salvador. They've worked in advertising agencies and design studios, and have been Communications Coordinator at The 519 for over 6 years, drawing inspiration and expertise from a lifetime of queerness. Among their volunteer roles, they were a board member of Trans Workforce and is currently a co-director at PODER Abya Yala Fuerza Feminista. On their free time they are an emerging artist and filmmaker, and has presented a short film for Toronto Queer Film Festival as well as exhibited their artwork in Toronto and El Salvador.

More about me:

Eli was born in El Salvador in 1989, part of the post-civil war generation. A curious child, their childhood hobbies were exploring nature and questioning everything around them in the spirit of wonder. Their first camera, a Kodak film, at the age of 7 was the perfect companion to their curious nature. They grew up cherishing those 24 to 36 shots in their camera while discovering their love of art and imagery.

Eli bachelor’s degree in graphic design from El Salvador helped them develop skills in photography, animation, motion graphics and the wondrous world of design. They participated in their first group photo exhibition in El Salvador in 2010, which greatly influenced their journey as a visual artist – not just a graphic designer or photographer.

Their path of personal and professional exploration took them to Toronto, in 2014, where they studied Interactive Media Management while discovering the meaning of community in Toronto. In 2017 they participated in the Outreach program at Gallery 44, and won the David Barker Malty Award. This milestone was instrumental in opening up many opportunities to further explore and hone their skills as an emerging artist. 

Their work is an exploration of multimedia, poetry, people, and their own relationship with the spaces they navigate as a queer-latine-nonbinary-immigrant, who grabs inspiration from daily life, textures, and the randomness of a chance.