Little Nodes of Place and Time: How Jemma Chapman Is Documenting Toronto Life, One Tiny Stamp at a Time

Jemma Chapman is a British architect and illustrator who made the move to Toronto at the start of 2025. She's been documenting her new life through a series of illustrative prints that capture some of her favourite places, foods, and moments around the city. And if you've been exploring Toronto lately, you might have spotted one of her vending machines dispensing these miniature celebrations of city life for just two dollars. The idea had been brewing long before she arrived. "I started writing a list of things I wanted to illustrate on my phone back in February last year," she explains. The breakthrough came when she decided to frame her illustrations as stamps. "I have a love for stamps, especially as tiny markers of place and time. When I don't know what to draw, I've always drawn a stamp to create a border. I even have a couple tattooed on me!"

The resulting collection captures Toronto life in all its glory, Niagara peaches, trash pandas, the ROM's striking architecture, and the city's first post office. Ask Chapman which stamp best represents her first year here, and she points to the food-related ones. "They reflect the meals with friends, the neighborhood spots that have become my 'locals' and the community I've built here. Whether it's bagels at Primrose on a rainy Monday or pizza from Mac's after a night out, these are the memories that make Toronto feel like home."

That architectural training? It shapes how she sees the world. "I see the world as shapes partly my architectural training, but mainly because I'm super dyslexic. Buildings are my passion, but my love is for human connectivity, and I think this project brings them together." The name "Toonie Stamps" nods to the affordable price point, but Chapman hopes for something more. "I want people to feel that childish sense of giddiness, the thrill of a surprise and the joy of owning a tiny piece of art."

Beyond the vending machines, she's launched a monthly mail club where subscribers receive

a letter, postcard map, stickers, and a mystery print. "It started as a way for people outside Toronto to feel involved, but people in the city love it too—it gives them tools to explore in person!" Chapman is also an activist, channeling energy into education, writing, and volunteering. For her, these roles are deeply intertwined. "Anything can be art, therefore it can also be activism. It's putting energy into things I feel are important, the best way to make change and be creative at the same time."

Coming in April: a collection called "Canadian Snacks," created in collaboration with a Toronto organization. "It focuses on community, and I'm loving the designs so far!" For creatives inspired to start their own projects, Chapman offers this: "I trained for 10 years, spent a fortune on my career, and couldn't get a job. Now I make silly little illustrations for a living because I posted a video online. The world has a strange way of working—just give it a go, act in kindness, and find joy in the process."

Sometimes the most meaningful creative work emerges not from rigid planning, but from paying attention—to a new city, to shared meals, to raccoons rifling through trash bins, and to the quiet magic of a tiny stamped illustration that holds an entire world inside its borders.

Find Toonie Stamps vending machines around Toronto, explore the collection at toonie-stamps.myshopify.com, or follow @tooniestamps on Instagram