Saner, one of Mexico City’s most recognizable street artists, has brought his larger-than-life murals to Toronto for the first time in a new collaboration with Modelo, producer of a premier line of Mexican beers. The internationally acclaimed muralist—born Edgar Flores—recently unveiled two large-scale public artworks in the Ossington neighbourhood and on Queen Street West, adding his signature blend of Mexican folklore, surrealism, and social commentary to two of Toronto’s most creative neighbourhoods.
In recent years, Saner has built a global reputation through massive works displayed in cities including Tokyo, London, Barcelona and New York City. His signature style often incorporates traditional masks, mythical alebrijes (fantastical creatures in Mexican folklore), and vivid dreamlike imagery that reinterpret Mexican cultural history on an enormous scale.
Saner’s Toronto project features two distinct murals. The first, The Dreamscape, is located in the Ossington neighbourhood at 144 Ossington Avenue, and explores Mexican heritage through colourful alebrijes and layered folkloric symbolism.
The second mural, The Melody, set in the Queen West neighbourhood at 768 Queen Street West, draws inspiration from the romance and nightlife of Mexico City, channelling the spirit of mariachi and norteño music into a vibrant urban canvas.
The collaboration also marks a larger cultural push for Modelo, which says the project is intended to bring a more authentic expression of contemporary Mexican creativity to Canadian audiences. Set against two of Toronto’s most art-forward streets, the murals aim to connect the craftsmanship and storytelling behind Saner’s work with the same sense of pride, passion, and identity that has long defined the beer brand.
Complex Canada sat down with Saner while he was in Toronto, and he shared more on his career, his inspiration for the Toronto murals, and what’s coming next.
Have you been to Canada before?
This is my third visit to Canada. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Vancouver, Montreal, and now Toronto. But this trip is especially meaningful to me because I had the opportunity to travel with my wife and my two sons [Ikal, five years old, and Balam, almost two years old].
Discovering another country through the eyes of your children makes you notice things differently. The city, the streets, the people, the parks, the museums, the zoo, and the aquarium are all experienced from a new perspective and become completely different memories. And seeing them experience another culture, different weather, and make new friends makes everything even more special.
Can you tell us a little bit about your career so far, and how you started out?
I have been working on different kinds of projects for more than 20 years: murals, exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world, collaborations with brands, cultural projects, and personal work.
I developed a strong passion for drawing from a very young age, but it was in 2008—after years of doing graffiti, working in design and advertising agencies, and developing personal projects with brands and galleries—that I decided to pursue a formal artistic career and fully dedicate myself to creating personal artwork.
What was the inspiration for the mural on Ossington?
Creating a piece in collaboration with the iconic beer brand Modelo and, above all, bringing a part of Mexican culture from Mexico to Toronto, represented a great opportunity to tell a story through my own vision and through the details that make me fall in love with my culture. For this reason, the narrative we created sought to connect with mysticism, magic, and those imaginary worlds that make my interpretation of Mexican culture unique.
The Ossington mural incorporates elements such as nahuales (shapeshifters in Mexican folklore), masks, hummingbirds, and alebrijes, and aims to transport each viewer into a mystical portal filled with imagination and symbolism. The main character acts as a guide who captivates dreams and invites the audience to cross that imaginary window we opened into a universe where tradition, fantasy, and cultural identity come together.
How about the inspiration for the mural on Queen Street West?
For the second location, I wanted to continue the story of mysticism, but this time through music and colour. Now, the portal leaves behind its nocturnal atmosphere to reveal a more romantic version, inspired by serenade nights—those nights where love invites people to truly enjoy life.
Through these pieces, we sought to celebrate Mexican culture and pay tribute to the iconic beer brand Modelo.
What has your experience been like partnering up with Modelo?
Collaborating with Modelo Canada, alongside Kadence World, was a great experience. We had complete creative freedom, and the process of working directly in front of the mural was truly unique. We’re very excited to collaborate again soon, since the final pieces turned out incredibly well.
What's next for you?
Our upcoming projects include an article and the cover illustration for the June issue of Life and Style MX magazine. We are also working with a gallery in Mexico on a series of World Cup-themed prints, and we will be launching a couple of new pieces at our space called Mi Guerrero Ikal, located in Mexico City.
