Che Kothari

Image Arts ’05
Portraitist and founder of Manifesto

Not yet 27, Che Kothari has emerged not only as one of the most prolific portraitists in Toronto, but also a community leader and role model. While still a student, he co-founded Hightop Studio, specializing in photography, video, web design and management, as well as event production and consultancy, for such clients as TD, War Child Canada and Sony. A founding member of the Canadian Youth Arts Network, he also founded Manifesto Community Projects, a youth-led organization devoted to fostering collaboration in Toronto’s artist community, and was invited by Harvard University to present at the United Nations Safer Cities Forum. As a result, he produced a video for the Organization of American States on the power of arts and culture to transform struggling communities.