Waard Ward Cultivates Art and Community Through Floristry
How a Syrian-born collective is putting down roots in the GTA
What initially began as a case study in experimental employment support for Syrian newcomer and florist Abd Al-Mounim and his family, Waard Ward has grown into a multifaceted collective that works in social practice and community organizing through art. Inspired to explore how her own creative practice could benefit others, artist Petrina Ng founded Waard Ward in 2019. Gathering over shared meals, the collective includes educator Laura Ritacca (who introduced Ng and Al-Mounim), curator Patricia Ritacca, and Al-Mounim’s wife Shoruk Alsakni and daughter Hanen Nanaa.
Waard Ward collective. Photography by Ammar Bowaihl.
Floristry and gardening are core to the collective’s work. Its inaugural project was an ArtworxTO commission: a public garden featuring historic varieties of Damask roses indigenous to the Middle Eastern region, plus companion herbs. Significantly, the garden is situated in the parking lot of the East York Town Centre in Thorncliffe Park, which has a high concentration of newcomers.
Paradise for Thorncliffe Park, Waard Ward & Darren Rigo, archival inkjet pigment print, edition of 1, 2024.
Roses for Thorncliffe Park, East York Town Centre, parking lot between Food Basics and Kandahar Kebab. 2022–ongoing. Produced by ArtworxTO, City of Toronto’s Year of Public Art.
At the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Waard Ward’s most recent exhibition features a rose garden based on Islamic designs and traditional architectural forms, but also the family’s garden in Syria. It’s a show that involves even more collaborators, including artist Alize Zorlutuna and architect Reza Nik who contributed his own memories of trips to Iran to the garden’s design, with bouquets created by Arabic speaking newcomers during a flower-arranging workshop led by the collective.
Flowers for Majd Kaleel, from the Flowers for exhibit. Waard Ward in collaboration with Nicolas Fleming & Darren Rigo, 2021.
Flowers for Sajeda Almarad, from the Flowers for exhibit. Waard Ward in collaboration with Nicolas Fleming & Darren Rigo, 2021.
Flowers for Shoruk Alsakni, from the Flowers for exhibit. Waard Ward in collaboration with Nicolas Fleming & Darren Rigo, 2021.
Flowers for Sara Alkhalifa, from the Flowers for exhibit. Waard Ward in collaboration with Nicolas Fleming & Darren Rigo, 2021.
Yet, it’s not only about petals and petals alone. The collective’s flower arranging workshop, led by Arabic-speaking newcomers, produces stunning bouquets that transcend language barriers. Waard Ward’s passion extends beyond the canvas and into the lives of others, bridging gaps within and beyond the art world.
