Emmy Tran is a self-taught visual artist based in Toronto who has crafted her creative journey entirely on her own terms. Specializing in acrylic paint, her art celebrates community, queer and sapphic joy and sex positivity. Her pieces often focus on the human form as a symbol of vulnerability and strength offering a window through personal experiences.
Born in Vietnam, Emmy moved to Canada in 2017, driven by the desire to find a space where her creative voice could flourish without boundaries. For Emmy, her art isn’t only about painting something beautiful and vibrant – it’s about making room for those who are often overlooked. She uses her platform to elevate stories that are underrepresented, particularly those in the 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities.
Having witnessed firsthand the impact of her work, it’s undeniable how deeply her art resonates with people. The smiles and reactions she receives reaffirm the meaningful connection her art creates.
-Written by one of her closest friends
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Which neighbourhood are you in?
I’m in the Village – by Church and Wellesley – which is very fitting for a queer artist.
What do you do?
I’m a visual artist and educator. I specialize in acrylic painting and I create art that celebrates queer joy, collective liberation, and sex positivity. Radical self-love is at the heart of all of my work, and I’m always naturally drawn to projects that push people to embrace themselves to the fullest.
I sell my artwork online and at art fairs/markets around the city. I also travel to major Pride festivals in Canada and worldwide to exhibit and sell my art.
In the summer of 2023, I did my Canada Pride tour and sold my art at Toronto Pride, London Pride, Niagara Pride, Ottawa Pride and Vancouver Pride. In the summer of 2024, in addition to Toronto Pride, I displayed my work at Brighton Pride and UK Black Pride in the UK. I think seeing yourself represented in mass media and the arts is paramount for 2SLBGTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. It normalizes our identity and affirms our lives and our space. By taking my work on the road, I hope to expand that visibility for queer people of colour in visual arts everywhere. To this day, every time I set up my art booth, a young queer person still comes up to me and tells me “This is the first time I’ve seen myself in a painting.”
I also host a monthly life drawing class at Oasis Aqualounge and teach my own art class.
What are you currently working on?
I host a body-positive art class called Paint Your Own Booty. Folks submit their nude photos to me, I then draw the reference into a paint-by-numbers sketch on a canvas, and students come to the class to paint themselves. So many of my days consist of studying people’s nudes and drawing them. Paint Your Own Booty is a highly therapeutic and beginner-friendly workshop. Having struggled with body dysmorphia for most of my life, adopting the practice of painting self-portraits has allowed me to perceive myself through an objective lens, and seeing myself as a work of art has done wonders for my relationship with my body. Through Paint Your Own Booty, I hope to offer my community the same creative tool to connect with themselves and become their own muse. I truly believe that art is for everyone.
Recently I am working on curating my first solo exhibition ever, Shedonism, which will take place from April 20 to April 27, 2025, during Lesbian Visibility Week at Three Dollar Bill, a queer bar located in the west end of the city. The exhibition will highlight my most prominent sapphic pieces, along with never-before-seen paintings that honour my journey of navigating queerness, intimacy, pleasure, femininity, and the pain and joy of the pursuit of art. The opening night will take place on April 20 with a burlesque show and interactive art pieces.
Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on my website or my Instagram. And every year during Pride weekend, you can always see my colourful Emmy Tran art booth for three days on Church Street!
Paint Your Own Booty takes place monthly in Toronto, usually at Glad Day Bookshop or The Drake Hotel. The best way to stay updated is to follow the page on Instagram.
