Alexander Robinson (b. 1996 Toronto, Ontario) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Canada. He is the recipient of grants from the Toronto Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, and his work has been featured in events and publications including The Artist Project, Hypebeast, and the Oprah Winfrey Network original series The Kings of Napa. He is currently an MFA candidate at OCAD University in the Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media and Design program.
The afro pick, an intergenerational tool traditionally used to detangle hair, serves as a foundational motif in Robinson’s practice. From his earliest memories of family members combing out his hair to the moment he learned to do it himself, this daily act has represented a deep level of labour, care, love, and commitment. In his work, Robinson uses afro picks as literal mark-making tools, combing through acrylic paint to tell stories of intergenerational care. This physical process is a meditative method for the artist to revisit and detangle past memories and emotional experiences.
Woven into his compositions are references to platformer video games from his youth, geometric forms inspired by apartment complexes and urban infrastructure, and the ever-present construction signage along Toronto’s Eglinton Avenue. By blending elements of cultural heritage with lived experience, Robinson offers an authentic reflection of his identity as a second-generation Canadian of the Caribbean Diaspora.
Alexander is also the Founder and Creative Director of lifestyle brand, Black Sisyphus which sets out to disrupt routine with functional pieces of art.