Martha Davis

Artist Bio

Martha Davis was born in London, Ontario and received her Honours B.A. in Film and Drama from the University of Toronto in 1981. She is a self-taught photo artist, filmmaker, children’s author, and retired elementary school teacher. Upon retiring in 2017, she began her Dream Scenes Photography work and has photographed over 700 seniors and children “living their dreams” through the magic of green screen photography. She has exhibited these photographs twice in the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, in 2019 and 2021. Davis has made over 30 videos and short films, two of which were nominated for Genie Awards, and two feature-length films which have been screened internationally. Her latest film, PANDALAND: Making IT Count (2022) has garnered several international awards. Participating in PANDALAND, a society of toy pandas Davis mounted outside her house, gave neighbourhood children a light-hearted way to grapple with big issues. The film has been called "a life-affirming tribute to kids' compassion and the birth of their activism." Since 2022, Davis has been making dioramas and installing them in a lightbox in her front garden. They playfully explore the challenging issues of our times: climate, food security, housing, technology, etc. Davis uses miniature figures, toys and bright colours to make difficult subjects relatable. Her mission is to spark conversation, reduce anxiety and encourage creative problem-solving among people of all ages. She now facilitates diorama-making workshops for children or adults, all materials included! Davis has created over 100 dioramas and has shown photographs of them in many group and solo shows in Toronto since 2023. Her work has been featured twice on CityNews, CBC Metro Morning, PhotoEd magazine and the Toronto Star. At the Mayworks Labour Arts gala, she received the "Creative Maverick" award for her work highlighting issues of social justice. Find out more and see photos on her website: greenscreenqueen.ca