In photos: Inside the Toronto home of a collector who specializes in Black art
Dr. Kenneth Montague and his wife, artist and educator Sarah Aranha, own one of Canada’s largest private collections focused on Black art.
Dr. Kenneth Montague and his wife, artist and educator Sarah Aranha, own one of Canada’s largest private collections focused on Black art.Doublespace Photography
The home, recently renovated by SOCA Architecture, has been designed as a place for art and living, each framed by a personal lens.Doublespace Photography
Dr. Montague, a trustee and an adviser to the Art Gallery of Ontario, founded the Wedge Collection in 1997, which has more than 400 works exploring the culture of the African diaspora and contemporary Black life.Doublespace Photography
The central fireplace, the spiritual heart of the original structure, anchors the living room and library at the front.Doublespace Photography
Light now floods rooms once dark with panelling, entering through skylights and windows.Doublespace Photography
Architect Tura Cousins Wilson's design includes spatial cuts and displacement – what Dr. Montague calls the 'cutaway Jenga kind of thing' – appears throughout the house.Doublespace Photography
The new millwork – white oak finished in a warm hue – echoes the original palette while feeling contemporary.Doublespace Photography
A workout space in the attic offers downtown views through strategically placed windows.Doublespace Photography
The architects added 1,000 square feet at the rear of the house, which accommodates a master suite.Doublespace Photography
The new master ensuite is bathed in natural lightDoublespace Photography
The house mixes art from the Wedge Collection with family pieces.Doublespace Photography
The idea for the house was 'a beautiful envelope for the artwork and the books,' Dr. Montague explains, 'rather than going for grand gestures.'Doublespace Photography
The renovation mirrors Dr. Montague’s art collecting ethos: support the work, show it, continue the conversation.Doublespace Photography
By removing the front staircase, adding internal windows and carving strategic voids, the architects amplified the spatial complexity that defines the house’s character.Doublespace Photography
The house – an artifact of borrowed English ideals – has found a new voice as a vessel for contemporary Black creativity.Doublespace Photography