A perfectly blended painting or well-timed photograph will leave most of us transfixed, if only for a few seconds. In the case of Redeemerās art students, these few seconds grew into a passion emboldened by the universityās unique approach to life and learning.
Eveliina Ahonen
āIāve always loved the arts since I was very little,ā says Eveliina Ahonen. āEven in middle and high school, you would see me in all the arts programs. My future plan is to become a creative arts therapist and incorporate visual art, music and theatre into my programs.ā
Ahonenās many years of devotion to the arts recently culminated in her senior exhibition “Sign Language.” She explores how common street signs can be interpreted in different ways. Put concisely in her artist statement, she explains how discovering ānew meaning in the same shape showcases how different people view the same stimuli quite differently and critiques how signs (that have been meticulously made to be clear) can in fact be read wildly different from their original intent and looked at in a new creative way. By limiting my interpretation to street signs, I hope to encourage viewers to find something new in the ordinary and to change their way of thinking when they see these same signs in the future.ā
Ahonenās decision to focus on street signs came from a variety of places including her childhood and the varied and rich influences of Redeemerās broad liberal arts and sciences curriculum.
āAs a kid, I would actually look at street signs and wonder what other meanings I could get from them. Thereās a piece [in the exhibition] that features the āroad slippery when wetā sign. I remember looking at it when I was younger and genuinely thinking it was encouraging me to go swimming in the rain. I would try to explain this to people, but it was hard for them to view it differently because they already know what the sign means. āI took things from my psychology class and put them into my art, and I think that happened throughout my time at Redeemer. In the end, everythingās pretty intertwined. Itās been really good in that sense, the ability to learn different things instead of being narrow-minded in one area.ā
Jocelyn Boville
Jocelyn Boville also modelled her exhibition, āElsewhere,ā after moments of child-like musing.
āI spent a lot of time trying to find something I care about and also would want to paint,ā she says. āI ended up with this idea of fantasy and escapism, and I realize it was really rooted in my own experiences of, especially in high school, feeling like reality was boring or something I just didnāt want to deal with on a certain day. So, I would read a lot of books and watch a lot of shows and become very invested in those worlds to the point where they felt more real than the life I was actually living.ā
Bovilleās artist statement describes this kind of retreat as āliving in a greenhouse worldā where she is protected āfrom the elements and has space to live and grow in [her] own way.ā However, despite how enticing and sometimes necessary taking a break from oneās everyday worries can be, she acknowledges thereās a definite downside.
āThat escape into fantasy is so important and necessary and good, but it can also take over all of who you are and can be almost isolating in a sense. Through my exhibition, I wanted to talk about the good things about fantasy but also about how to have a healthy relationship with reality where youāre not totally cutting yourself off.ā
The exhibition’s final piece, āCome Home,ā represents the crux of this idea.
“Come Home” by Jocelyn Boville
āIt has a really different shift in mood from the other paintings, which show places that are bigger and better than reality and adventures I want to have. This final piece shows the bad side of fantasy because I donāt want to be completely cut off and trapped. Itās that moment when you realize living in a fantasy world is not sustainable and you havenāt done yourself a favour by becoming so invested in it to the point where reality is not even within armās reach anymore.ā
“When Iām taking different classes, Iām often thinking about psychology, English and even some philosophy courses Iāve taken. All of that impacts who I am, and therefore impacts the things I see in the world and the things that I create.ā
Boville believes the creative process she needed to tap into was strengthened by the unique Redeemer experience.
āBeing able to learn from so many different perspectives and disciplines gives me a better, broader understanding of the world in general. That translates into my art because it usually comes from what Iām thinking about. When Iām taking different classes, Iām often thinking about psychology, English and even some philosophy courses Iāve taken. All of that impacts who I am, and therefore impacts the things I see in the world and the things that I create.ā
Emma Vanderploeg
In a slight variation from the typically-imagined art student, Emma Vanderploeg is a business major with a fine arts minor. From experience, she knows that having a creative aspect to her education has brought a whole other skill set to the practical elements of her business courses.
āI took an entrepreneurship class this past semester, and it was super fun because I got to put together a business plan and design things like a logo and product packaging. What I learned in my art classes really helped.ā
Having an outlet outside of her major also allowed Vanderploeg to revisit the more personal, formative elements of her life. The idea for her senior exhibition came while she was casually browsing through family photo albums.
āThereās this one recurring theme with my mom and oma. Neither of them cares too much about fashion or the way they dress because theyāre more adventure-oriented people who want to go camping and things like that. Theyād always be wearing these fleece sweaters with fun patterns on them. I ended up centering my whole project around the fleeces theyād wear and the adventures theyād have.ā
In her artist statement for āThe Fleece Sweaters,ā Vanderploeg explains how the ties between fleece patterns and a familial sense of adventure have encouraged her to be more open to new journeys and exploration.
āPaging through these images of adventures experienced long ago has given me the courage to start working toward adventures of my own, exploring new roads, mountains and even relationshipsā¦These closet staples remain comfortable and familiar throughout all the adventures, a piece of home that comes along. I hope that, through my watercolour exploration of these themes, I can pass on that same inspiration to others.ā
āItās allowed me to stand out as a job candidate. A lot of other graduates are just focused in one area, whereas Iām able to bring in perspectives from business, art and other courses that can fulfill different aspects of a role.ā
Now that Vanderploeg has had time to reflect on her academic career, she attributes much of her positive Redeemer experience to having a holistic education with a broad engagement in multiple different areas.
āItās allowed me to stand out as a job candidate. A lot of other graduates are just focused in one area, whereas Iām able to bring in perspectives from business, art and other courses that can fulfill different aspects of a role.ā
Theresa Kornelsen
Theresa Kornelsen took a somewhat different path for her exhibition. Titled āHeritage,ā it features charcoal portraits of her family members each accompanied by a poem that tells a story of or by them.
āWhile I planned [the exhibition], I just kept thinking that something was missing. After all, most people wouldnāt know who I was drawing,ā she says. āI thought about ways to share a bit of who they are and were with viewers. Poetry seemed the most natural fit. And, as it turns out, I had already been exploring the topics of family and heritage in previous semesters through various writing classes. Quite a few of the poems in my show are from those classes.ā
Theresa Kornelsen’s Gallery Shot
Rather than being particularly captivated by a single piece, Kornelsen is drawn in by elements of each one.
āIt was fun drawing six of my family members and myself and seeing how I have parts of their features, like my one grandpaās nose, my dadās mouth and my momās cheekbones. Of the poetry, one of my favourites is āMt. St. Helens.ā Even though Mount St. Helens erupted before I was born, Iāve always been terrified of it.ā
Like her classmates, Kornelsen also feels that an interdisciplinary education played a role in her creative process.
āWhat I learned from the science courses deepened my appreciation for the created world and the beauty and order within it, which are topics and themes I often gravitate to. The various arts I studied helped me see and understand different points of view even if I didnāt always agree with them. I also appreciate knowing more of the history of the world since it allows me to explore certain topics deeper in my art.ā
Studying art through a Christian lens helped her mature as an artist and in her faith.
āIt can be hard to express faith through art without being cheesy. The art courses I took showed me ways to move past the cheese and think deeply about faith and God through what I make. Iām probably still a little cheesy, but I think I ended up with solid strategies to explore faith and art.ā
Now that sheās graduated, Kornelsen feels equipped with the skills and confidence to make and sell art from her home in British Columbia.
āThere are so many beautiful places where I live in BC, and Iām very excited to start painting them. I also enjoy woodworking and would love to sell small wood projects alongside paintings and drawings. I feel like Redeemer has given me a solid foundation upon which I can start building my art.ā
To experience each exhibition the way it was intended, please visit redeemer-art.ca.