jemma chapman is a british architect turned illustrator whose work explores place, memory, and the process of building a sense of home in a new country. after relocating to toronto, she faced significant challenges finding work in architecture, a setback that prompted her to reconsider a career she had spent more than a decade building. during this period of transition and uncertainty, jemma turned to drawing as a personal practice, using it to make sense of her unfamiliar surroundings and navigate her new life.
what began as an intimate and reflective exercise eventually evolved into toonie stamps, a celebrated art project that distributes small illustrated prints through converted vintage vending machines placed across the city. encouraged by friends, jemma eventually shared the project online, where it unexpectedly resonated with the public. wanting to keep her work accessible, she priced the prints at two dollars, matching the canadian toonie, and restored a second-hand vending machine to distribute them throughout toronto.
as interest in the project grew, so did its reach. toonie stamps expanded to more than 50 distinct designs, thousands of sales, and an invitation for jemma to speak at toronto’s artist project exhibition. what began as a personal way of observing and connecting with her new surroundings had become a public-facing creative practice. by embracing a path outside traditional architecture, she found a way to share her work directly with the community while staying connected to the everyday details that first inspired her to draw.
today, jemma’s work remains deeply rooted in the quiet moments and overlooked details of everyday life. drawing from her architectural background, she documents streets, local buildings, familiar objects, and shared urban experiences that shape how people relate to a place. her practice has shifted from physically designing structures to observing the lives and stories that exist within them. in many ways, the principles of architecture remain present in her work, but the scale has changed, from buildings and spaces to the small details that make a place feel lived in.
rather than following a rigid career trajectory, jemma has built a practice that thrives on curiosity, observation, and connection. through accessible illustrations and public-facing projects, she transforms personal observations into shared cultural touchstones, inviting people to look more closely at the city around them. the work gives her room to follow ideas as they develop, allowing each project to grow naturally from the last while remaining grounded in the same interest in place, memory, and belonging.
jemma’s journey from architecture to illustration shows how a change in direction can open up possibilities that were difficult to see before. what initially felt like a professional setback became the starting point for a creative practice that allowed her to connect with toronto in a more personal way. by letting go of the original blueprint for her career, she discovered another way to understand and shape the spaces around her, one drawing, story, and small piece of the city at a time.
