EXHIBITING ARTISTS
Some artist pieces will be available for sale through the
Coups de pinceaux, coups de ciseaux website.
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Me vs. Myself
ate agit
Graphic Design/Digital – 2023
$65
his poster is inspired by old boxing posters.
The artist does not appreciate being asked, “How are you?” The overall sentiment conveyed is that they are okay—a convenient and generic term to place themselves in the middle. They acknowledge that things could be worse, but they could also be better.
In the context of working within a community, the artist faces the challenge of gaining perspective on themselves. They recognize that, as a product of their community, others may struggle to support them if they, themselves, are unsure of their needs. The artist engages in constant internal battles, trying to understand and articulate their true experiences.
The poster, created in June, reflects a period of struggle in accessing healthcare since relocating from Ontario. The artist describes the difficulty of self-care during this time, feeling like they were in a constant internal conflict and often on the losing end of it.
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Doors of perception
Victor Boyer
Watercolour Illustration – 18x24in – 2022
$286
he piece “doors of perception” was created as a meditation during the pandemic, it’s a meditation on many things increasingly prevalent in our complicated and overstimulating contemporary society; isolation, melancholy and anxiety. As well as the adoption of hedonistic and unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse, as a way to manage day to day life when dealing with such issues.
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Métamorphose identitaire
Sandra Thach
Photography – 2022
$208
Métamorphose identitaire is a photographic serie that embraces the cultural identities of the Chinese Canadian artist. It shows the artist showing or closing her plaid jacket that is typically associated with Canada on a graphic shirt that has a Chinese dragon as the main design. Through the mouvement photography technique, the artwork talks about the constant interchangeable or metamorphosis of one person’s cultural identity.
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Splitting
Karolina Szablewska
Painting
$1300
The work portrays a body hallucination the artist had while having a panic attack where she experienced strong vertigo and a feeling like her teeth needed to fall out. She made two versions to experiment with color in regards to how the ups and downs felt, and they go together for a stereoscopic effect as well. She has PTSD and gets panic attacks occasionally that bring on very strong and surreal body hallucinations. She thinks it’s valuable to represent what happens inside as intensely as it’s experienced for people outside, who might never experience such sensations in daily life. It bridges the gap of understanding to feel a little bit scared and overwhelmed.
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Birdwatcher
Sébastien Clermont
Painting – 2022
$195
The artist aims to capture various levels of order and chaos within one’s mind through their artwork. The portrait contains multiple “worlds,” layers, and contrasting elements. This concept has been an ongoing experiment for the past year, stemming from the artist’s personal experience with mental health challenges.
The primary goal is to channel a range of different mental states into a singular face. The artist seeks to visually represent the ambiguity of mental breakdowns, emphasizing the value these experiences hold despite their darkness, and exploring their connection to spirituality. In this visual narrative, the face serves as a representation of the complex and dynamic playing field, as well as the war zone within the mind.
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Dissipate
Adriana Herrera
Painting on canvas – 2023
$260
Dissipate shows a woman in blue, with a melancholic expression, huddled into a fetal position, drowning in her sorrows and slowly becoming one with the depths of darkness around her.
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La femme lune
Sarah Béguineau
Painting – 2022
NOT FOR SALE
In this painting A faceless, powerful Black woman emerges from the canvas, her identity intentionally left open, reflecting the artist’s personal journey of searching for relatable role models and battling the media’s underrepresentation of Black women. This piece is a tribute to the countless women in her community who share this path. The focal point is a majestic, golden circle enveloping the figure, resembling either a radiant sun or a serene moon. It radiates an aura of pride, reminiscent of the artist’s deep connection to her roots and the preciousness of her heritage. “La femme lune” invites viewers to see themselves in this enigmatic figure, to find their own narrative within the art, and to celebrate the diversity and strength of Black women. It’s a mesmerizing exploration of self, culture, and empowerment through the eyes of the artist.
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Point
Reginalde Denis
Digital Drawing
NOT FOR SALE
Part of an upcoming zine, this animated illustration looks into the thoughts you have when you reach the depth of your sadness, when you feel trapped in your life and in your own head. It’s sometimes hard to see the light when everything that surrounds you is darkness and monsters.
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Depression in Tanslation
Amanda Brown, Dimitri Copper, Emery Vanderburgh
Sculpture – 2022
NOT FOR SALE
Stigma surrounding mental illness persists because the person suffering is often blamed for experiencing symptoms outside of their control. Depression in Translation is a textile art collaboration between a neuroscience researcher, and two artists specializing in intermedia art and costume design that aims to convey the complex network of factors (environmental and molecular) that contribute to the epigenetic basis of depression and suicide.
We aim to represent how early-life adversity (such as child abuse) can profoundly impact how genes can be activated or inactivated with respect to depression/suicide, and how the translation process may be affected in these cases. We hope to demonstrate how complex and pervasive the biological effects of childhood maltreatment are, and how different environmental factors can dramatically alter an individual’s molecular output/phenotype/health status. This work has important social ramifications, as it communicates scientific findings that support the message that mental health issues like depression are not matters of personal responsibility, and that traumas like childhood maltreatment cannot just be “gotten over” even on the fundamental biological level.
Each garment is created to impose deliberate restrictions on the person wearing them. All at once creating a sense of weight, tension, liberation, and lightness. The dress that is revealed beneath the coat as well as the duality in the facial expression of the mask shows the contrast between depression and resilience outcomes in people with the same risk genes but different experiences with early life adversity and epigenetic regulation.
A simple beaded headpiece was constructed to represent dopamine downregulation in depression, as the branches reflect the dopamine side groups, and the dangling pearl section a degradation of the benzene structure. Other elements, such as the addition of embroidery and video effects, portray factors like the neurotransmitters involved in depression, and the distortions to stress regulatory systems due to early life adversity.
The video animations were also created to enhance this feeling of cyclical duality through the use of layering, repetition and contrast. Thus each element of the piece is considered in relation to how the depressive and resilient genes affect the person experiencing depression.
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HeartH II.
Trang Ta
Ink on handmade recycled paper – 8.5 x 6in – 2022
$123
HeartH was made from slowness. The slowness of accumulating discarded paper stock like receipts, egg cartons, and packaging, over time. Of turning them back into usable sheets of paper, each carrying its very own unique previous lives. Of jotting down one dot of ink at a time, building a soulful fire of the hearth as the unpredictable form of something so intangible but still so striking started to take on its shape on the paper.
HeartH is about the slowness of exploring life, transforming lives, and connecting one’s mind with their environment through materialism, mindfulness, the cycle of life of all things, and therapeutic handicrafts.
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Daze
Wendy-Alexina Vancol
Acrylic of canvas – 47 in. x 35 in – 2019
NOT FOR SALE
Daze is a painting inspired by a 1977 photograph of Vancol’s father seated in his sister’s backyard, wearing a puzzled expression. Vancol revisited the image for years until her twenties when it resonated. Taken a year after her father’s immigration to Quebec at 22, the photo captures a familiar uncertainty Vancol has often felt about her career and relationships. The artwork, with its washed background and dynamic brushstrokes, conveys the complexities of life’s tumult and introspective musings.
The central figure, portraying both vulnerability and strength, symbolizes the resilience inherent in the search for self-identity. Vancol’s father, now in his sixties, doesn’t speak much about his past. Nevertheless, the painting fosters a sense of closeness for Vancol, offering reassurance that life’s uncertainties will eventually find resolution.
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This Is what Trans Looks Like: Leo, Ky, Jack
Rojelio Palacios
Graphite drawing on paper – 20x26in – 2019
$260 each ($780 for series)
Each drawing consists of two portraits of a transgender individual. One close up of their face and the other one of their torso and head alongside some text describing their name, how they identify and a quote about their transition.
Through this series of detailed graphite drawings, I aim to create representation of trans and non-binary bodies, in particular, those assigned female at birth, like myself, for which I have found there is very little. What we do see is either fetishized in porn or of individuals who fit into the binary of male and female; people who have gone through medical transition such as hormone therapy or surgeries. Although this is great to see and those people’s journeys are important. It paints an unrealistic image of trans and no binary people. A lot of people cannot afford to medically transition, may not be able to due to medical reasons, or just don’t want to and that’s okay. There are so many ways to be trans and express gender and identity. My aim is to show different types of trans and non-binary bodies, and contribute to creating an archive of self-mediated visibility of queer trans communities, while also subverting and problematizing expectations of the enforced gender binary.
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Haarmoni
Sadia Awan
Jewelry – 2023
$216
“Haarmoni” is an exploration of the intricate interplay between harmony and divisiveness, expressed through the use of symbolism and materials.
At the heart of the choker, a delicate pink Swarovski crystal heart serves as a focal point. It symbolizes vulnerability, love, and the emotional core of the human experience. Close to it, a chain adorned with golden metal hearts represents unity, reminding us of the strength found in connection and community.
In a poetic reflection of life’s dualities, “Haarmoni” features a white pearl and a black stone. Together, they speak to the complex and often opposing forces that shape our lives, inviting viewers to contemplate the balance between reflecting and absorbing energies around us.
Composed of different elements, this piece invites us to consider how our individual stories and struggles can contribute to a collective narrative of understanding, empathy, and solidarity.
This piece is a tangible reminder that jewelry can transcend adornment, becoming a vessel for meaningful conversation and soulful expression.
Haar signifies necklace in the artist’s mother tongue.
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Soledad
Carolina Aguirre
Painting on canvas – 2023
$1170
This painting is a reflection of embracing the aspects of oneself that one may not always like – the parts that can make a person feel alone, vulnerable, and empty at times. The inspiration for this piece came from a dream Carolina had where she found herself holding a basket of empty eggshells.
The room depicted in the painting is her aunt’s window in El Salvador. It holds a deep significance for her, as it symbolizes both her connection and disconnection with her country of birth. Through this artwork, she has sought to capture the complex interplay between inner struggles, a sense of belonging, and the emotions that can arise from these experiences.
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I feel what I feel
Carolina Aguirre
Oil painting on canvas
24″ x 30″
$1040
This artwork symbolizes personal growth and transformation, inspired by a year filled with challenges. Each element painted on the canvas embodies different emotions, drawing from nature like the symbolism of blueberries for balance, a pink cactus flower representing warmth and courage, and a displayed crown symbolizing power and strength. It serves as a reminder to continue to seek opportunities for personal development.
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MA CHAIR
Fauve
Mixed media: painting, fibre art and sculpture – 2023
$260
“MA CHAIR” is a painting on multiple pieces of cardboards patched together, mounted on an old broken frame picked from a sidewalk’s trash. It is ornamented with rusted chains, ripped tights, flimsy string and twisted wire. It represents the state of mind of an individual while living with trauma and obsession.
The artwork itself is scattered, with one corner of the canvas isolated from the rest while still attached with wires and strings to represent the baggage held. It remains there, heavy and stuck to the victim’s journey and identity. The deformed faces recreate a feeling of “”splitting”” from the versions of the self before the traumatic event, as well as dissociating from the body to escape. The wires and tights travel all over the piece to mimic how a traumatized brain might link harmless situations or thoughts to the traumatic event, always coming back to it.
“FOOL” has been painted as a symbol of how one might feel ashamed or stupid for thinking so much about the event or even going through it. One eye, a mirror, looks back at the spectator. Are you yourself in this piece? Finally, a mischievous jester watches the whole scene, but really this is the individual’s own mind judging and mocking itself for the absurdity and complexity of it all.
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New World
Yujayad
Digital art print (framed poster) – 2023
$78
The artist created this piece with the theme of “identity” in mind. It was their subconscious mind’s attempt at bridging a gap, as they often feel stuck in-between worlds when trying to navigate their identities (gender, sexuality, culture, ethnicity) and how they intersect with one another. They don’t believe that being one thing makes them less of another. They now see it more as a personal exploration of the self, seeing how they relate to each identity and how they show up in their life. Embracing all parts of oneself brings balance, allowing space for the creation of something new, beautiful, complete, and uniquely theirs. They aim to escape all limitations to become whole and create a new world.
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02:57 (clear browsing data)
Em Saulnier-Leclerc
Fibre Art (Cross Stitch), 2023
$650
“02:57 (clear browsing data)” is a cross-stitch comprised of 34 928 stitches, completed over the course of thirteen months.
It engages with the strange feeling of community that queer people, particularly queer youths, find online in secret moments of distress. Online anonymity is a facilitator to these near universal quests; it is, however, flawed at best, and often just a first transitory step. Finding oneself online rarely comprises the entirety of living queerly, and only gives a partial (because controllable) dimension of the social reality of queerness. Moreover, queerness tends to seep into everything one does and is over time, as exemplified by the tediously long, meticulous and long lasting tradition of cross-stitching.
The piece also considers the porous frontiers between mental ill-health and queerness, favoring a richer, intricate understanding of human experiences. The artist is both bisexual and has a bipolar diagnosis. Both realities have an incidence on the lived experience of the other: they are an ‘and’ rather than an ‘or’ question.
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What If The Sun Died
Samara O’Gorman
Poetry and Installation Art – 2022
Poetry available in hardcover ($39) and softcover ($26)
Samara O’Gorman’s debut collection of poetry shares the evocative and the delicate side of healing. When it comes to grief, she articulates how important it is to persevere through the dark in order to reach the light. A portion of every book sold is being donated to jack.org,a Canadian non-profit organization focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention.
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Barbie Legs Clown Collar & Shibarbie Necklace/Harness
Baily Bird (ooeyg00eys)
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Kokomo Scarf
Nikoiya
Quality Print of Original Painting – 2023
$65
The inspiration for this painting came from a white, floral pattern scarf known by the Nehiyawak (Cree people) as the ‘Kokum scarf.’ The floral pattern originates from the central region of Ukraine by way of trade, commerce and cooperation between the Ukrainian and Nehiyawak people. The mutual aid and support shared between these communities through times of hardship led floral scarves to become a symbol of the strength and hard work of our matriarchs. ´Kokum’ is the cree word for ‘Grandmother,’ serving as a reminder of our grandmothers and a symbol that we carry with us everywhere we go. The “kokum scarf” is a symbol that represents the intrepid and entrepreneurial spirit of our grandmothers: women who worked relentlessly to seek opportunities, build relationships, and foster cooperation among families and nations to ensure our survival.
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Flying
Crystel Pereira
Oil Painting on gallery canvas – 24×36 in – 2023
$533
This painting was a way for the artist to address hope in a barren looking environment. While the origami birds may not be real or natural, she sees them as a graceful presence and a symbol of human imagination and our capacity to create beauty. She believes mental health is deeply linked to the health of our environment. Loss of natural spaces and our disconnection from them can lead to a sense of alienation that impacts mental health.
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Just a Lookalike I & II
Ranime El Morry
Painting – 2022,2023
I NOT FOR SALE, II $1040)
“Just a Lookalike” and “Just a Lookalike II” showcase a detailed representation of a mask. The mask appears to be made out of a paperlike texture, moulded and folded over a face to show vague protruding facial features. I have made this painting to try and express autistic masking and the effect it has on me. Masking your mannerisms, your authentic self, your reactions, and who you really are in order to not stand out to society and face the pain. The paper mask is supposed to represent my face but it does not actually resemble me at all. The disposable paper is ever-changing to adapt to different environments and people, but it is still a paper that can be easily torn. Albeit knowing that it is fragile, the mask feels like steel and it is difficult to unmask around people, just as it is exhausting to not be authentic and who you actually are.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Vent Over Tea is proud to present Frames of Mind, an inclusive art exhibition speaking on the themes of mental health, identity, and community happening December 2-10, 2023. The exhibition highlights the talent of artists from all ages, experiences, and backgrounds.
This exhibition is in partnership with My Friend Frankie, a creative network that prioritizes three key principles: creators, community, and local businesses.
