Briony The Artist

I saw this sneak peak posted to Reddit and did a google search about the sculpture and it led me straight to this page! So excellent work! I can’t believe how awful and childish it is

**"Let Them Eat Cake" - Pandemic Pain or High-Class Gain? Toronto’s Sparkelist Influencer-Artist Briony Douglas Accused of Pandemic Financial Flaunting While the City Suffered!. **

Insensitive Influencers exploit the struggles of the "poors" with their self-centred FreshCo Flex.

*image courtesy of Instagram @lesbest *new account @amy.shio

Toronto: In 2022, Canadian rhinestone-loving influencer-artist Briony Douglas and her trust-fund influencer friends paraded around a FreshCo grocery store to deliberately "flex" their wealth to the poor. FreshCo is a Canadian discount supermarket chain. FreshCo stores are strategically placed in neighbourhoods where residents prioritize affordability, including lower-income, working-class, and highly dense, underserved urban communities.

Briony Douglas wore Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, and other designer items. The artist opted for a layered look and draped an estimated $40,000 worth of designer necklaces around her neck and her newly enhanced $17,000*1 bosom. A quilted Chanel fanny pack rested on Briony's designer-demined hip. Multiple rings glittered across Briony's fingers as she pushed the cart through aisles of people. --People who were just getting by. --

On her feet, Briony wore Nike Jordan 1 Mid x Melody Ehsani SE Fearless 2019, a shoe worth $2,577.51 Canadian dollars. The shoes are just a small sample of Briony's massive collection of rare sneakers. Briony's collection has been featured in Fashion Magazine, The Georgia Straight, and on CHCH Morning, a local morning news show based in Hamilton, Ontario. Sneaker expert Todd Finton estimates Briony's collection to be worth well over a quarter million dollars.

As their cameraman snapped, Briony and co. flexed their wealth up and down the aisles of the FreshCo store located in a highly marginalized community.

The store where Briony staged her photoshoot is located in one of Canada's poorest neighbourhoods and was one of the most locked-down areas of the country. For 300 days, residents were locked down in small, rugged apartments and shelters. Access to parks was restricted. Mental health in this area plummeted, domestic violence rates soared, and the number of deaths by suicide dramatically rose. COVID transmission rates were high. By comparison, Briony's sprawling farm, located in the prestigious region of Wellington County, is valued at 1.8 million dollars and features open spaces, multiple activity areas, an art barn, and a spacious outdoor wellness area complete with a Scandinavian sauna, fire pit, and cold plunge. With an endless source of disposable income, Briony was also able to escape the pandemic for vacations, weekend getaways, and outdoor lunches at five-star restaurants.

One has to ask: was this display of wealth on flex on purpose? Or simply a stupid idea to gain more internet fame and Instagram wealth? The comments on the page tell a story of bold ignorance, selfish greed, and a passion for making others feel small. "Like the time we went to FreshCo to shop and flex, lmao" - Amy Sho, influencer and designer label collector.

Amy also calls Toronto "triggering". "Not so cool to be allowed in FreshCo tho." Briony then adds, "You are the coolest human ever," directed towards Amy Sho. "Real Rich mom vibes" comments @atothebed (blue check).

Former television host Tanya Kim chimes in, "Paris Hilton might say you're just sliving 🔥". Socialite and influencer Sasha Exteter, best known for her public accusations of "white privilege" towards Jessica Mulroney, comments, "It's the high/low neck game and the Rih inspo for me."

They all seem oblivious to the shoppers; however, they do complain about getting the boot. Amy Sho commented, "just before we got the 🥾 😂"; this group seemed well aware of what they were doing, flexing extreme privilege on a community that was struggling and barely holding on.

This story was exposed on Reddit in 2023. Shortly after the article ran on Reddit @lesbest Amy Sho changed the captions. Was she afraid of getting caught? Further called out? She didn't remove the images. Wouldn't want to waste a Marie Antoinette moment.

Today the post remains up. The caption has changed; all mentions of FreshCo, the pandemic, FLEXING and security removing the Influencers have been removed. Tags and links for all the luxury brands shown have been added.

*While exact death numbers are hidden, Toronto Public Health's Neighbourhood Maps tracking cases confirmed that lower-income, highly racialized, and densely populated communities faced disproportionately high transmission rates. This region was heavily impacted by these high transmission trends.

*Compounding Crises: Community health advocates note that this neighbourhood faced a parallel crisis during the pandemic. Lockdowns and isolated conditions caused a severe spike in accidental opioid and substance overdose fatalities across Toronto's low-income communities.

*1 Average cost of breast enhancement surgery in Southern Ontario

The Canadian Artist continues to steal ideas from artists and designers for her own work. In her recent project, amusingly called ‘Imagination Station’, Briony Douglas hired a fabrication team to create a large scale, exact reproduction of "Melissa & Doug" Classic Toys, Stacking Train. Briony was too lazy to adapt the design to cover her tracks. How BOLD and BRAZEN! Especially since Briony Douglas has been called out many times for profiting off stolen ideas or using cutouts "Pantone" squares to have her interns recreate photographic images that Briony has no rights too. In Canada, this stealing seems to be applauded by influential people and the main stream media. "Melissa & Doug" is now owned by Spin Master Toys. I wonder how they will react. I wonder if this Globe and Mail Arts editor will comment?

Briony's "Gum Shoe" is a concept taken from creatives Mitchell Diercks and Stefan Apswoude. Their work, "StaChew", is a public art installation and anti-litter initiative in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Her small statue, "Gum Shoe", was a combination of Mitchell Diercks & Stefan Apswoude's original statue and Jeff Staple and Mathew Senna's work. Briony riffed off their packaging, limited edition cards and marketing images.

Briony frequently copies Dario Escobar, as seen here. Prior to being called out, Briony's public Instagram had folders with all of the original art works she was copying. Seems that she's not so bright.

Briony's photography work for a studio exhibit, "A Day In The Life of Beatrice" in 2023, was a copy of artist Frances O'Sullivan (BeautySpock) work.

Briony's first photo that she had published was a copy of a legendary David LaChapelle work.

Even Briony's beloved Pantone image recreations are an idea taken from London UK-based artist-designer Nick Smith, (first exhibit 2015), his work was featured in Fast-Company and many other high level magazines.

Briony is well aware that she is taking other artists ideas. Read her comment from a sprawling Toronto Life feature about her wedding, in this case her wedding cake.

In the article and on her social media Briony Douglas fails to mention NYC-based, celebrated artists and sculpture Will Cotton, the creator of this cake conceptual art.

Briony fully states that it is HER idea.

It's shocking that Toronto Life magazine didn't question Briony. Editors at a cultural magazine should have some awareness about key artists like Will Cotton. It's even more shocking that Shine Talent Group continues to represent a person who feels so entitled to take ideas and call them her own. Does Briony feel owed because she didn't get everything she wanted as a child?

Next, I'll expose Briony's copious copying of a talented black woman, a photographer and food stylist with a style so unique, Briony should be ashamed.

I'm not saying artists and designers aren't inspired by previous work; however most artists discuss and credit inspiration and don't directly copy. For Briony's latest project, she made no effort. She bought a toy set, sketched it and sent it to the fabricators. I wonder how much she was paid?