Walter Segers emigrated from Belgium in 1993 and currently lives and works in Toronto. He graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design University in 2008 with distinction and received OCADU’s prestigious M.C. McCain Post Graduate Photography Residency in 2009. Segers won the Akin Studio Program which carried a residency at MOCA, Toronto in 2018. He has exhibited his photo-based works at Spin, Gallery 1313, Lonsdale, The John B. Aird Gallery, Propeller, The Window Gallery YYZ, P|M Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art, Gagné Contemporary Projects, Artscape (now ArtHubs) and the Gladstone art hotel in Toronto. In Ontario he exhibited at White Water Gallery and NOVAH Gallery in North Bay, Railway Station in Temagami, Open Studio at Cambrian College in Sudbury, FHM in Cambridge, Markham Museum and Lilliput Gallery in London, ON. A residency at James Baird Foundation resulted in a group exhibition at James Baird Gallery in Pouch Cove, NL. His work has been shown internationally at Leslie Lohman Annex Gallery in NYC, Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris, Peperfabriek in Antwerp-Belgium, Getxo Photo in Bizkaia-Spain, Ilkeston Contemporary in Derbyshire-UK, RIT City Art Space in Rochester-NY, Galeria Antonio López Sáenz at Museo de Arte in Mazatlán-MX, Galerie AMU in Prague and Galerie 12 in Zlín in the Czech Republic. Segers’ work is published in ArtWindsor, muse magazine (Canadian Museums Association), PhotoEd as well as the online magazines Wondereur, Frank by The Genteel, and Pixie & Rotter. His photo-based works explore issues surrounding gender, sexuality, immigration, belonging and identity.

Segers has been deeply impacted by his initial encounters with
homophobia and gender conformity, as well as his teenage fear and
fascination with the early outbreak of the AIDS crisis. These experiences have greatly influenced Segers' political beliefs and have played a significant role in shaping his perspective on the world.
The artwork he creates frequently portrays ideas related to personal
identity, sexuality, and the challenges faced by marginalized
communities. Through his art, he aims to question existing norms and
promote inclusiveness.
Segers’ dedication to inclusivity is exemplified in his recent project transforming a long-term care home wing (Rekai Centres Toronto) into a Rainbow Wing, supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors’ community. He collaborated with The ArQuives, Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives, to design and curate a History and Legacy wall celebrating the community’s courage and achievements.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts #BringingTheArtsToLife

We would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario