About

Professor Di Cintio’s practice focuses on the social-political dimensions of design. Her ongoing research interests range from design activism, the archive, materiality and interiors.

She has received academic and creative fellowships from Massey College, University of Toronto, The MacDowell Colony, NH, USA, Fundacao da Casa Mateus, Portugal, and The McLuhan Centre, University of Toronto.

She has received teaching, service and leadership awards for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion from her university, a Silver Medal from the Universidad Iberoamericana  Mexico, and the Interior Design Educators Council IDEC for Community Service, USA. 

Di Cintio creates unique pedagogical links among design activism, service and experiential learning. She has forged working partnerships with First Nations communities in Canada, Mexico and Guatemala, and her students’ designs have supported Toronto food-bank users and Haitian earthquake survivors.

She has exhibited her creative work locally and internationally. Selected exhibitions: The Drawing Centre, New York, USA, The Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, USA, Curtin University and Form Gallery, Perth, Australia, Mary E. Black Gallery, NS, Canada, and Allentown Art Museum, PA, USA.

Lorella Di Cintio, PhD
ldicintio@ryerson.ca

 

Fun facts:

My undergraduate thesis project was entitled Re-Designing Life’s Final Chapter. I questioned funeral practices and interiors of 20th Century funeral homes in Canada and challenged them to be more inclusive. I also re-designed and created a series of sustainable caskets. This project was my first career publication.

I can weld (MIG, TIG and Stick Welding). My dad taught me, and I took additional courses at Central Technical School, Toronto. 

My mom and I made organic bio-plastic windows and watched them slowly decompose over time.

I exhibited my grade school artwork at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The local newspaper misspelled my name, but technically, it was my first show.