As a student, you can never truly prepare yourself for what awaits you following graduation day. Sure, you can put your best self forward, work hard to maintain a high GPA, land an internship and pour all of your efforts into any club, student initiative, or cause that you’re deeply passionate about. Eventually, though, there comes a time when the safety and structure of school fades away and you’re left to figure out how you will navigate the world around you, both in art and in life.
The undergraduate degree I hold is a major in fine arts (Drawing and Painting to be specific). I spent a vast amount of my time in a studio, both creating works as well as observing my peers and fellow artists. I was trying to piece together what an artists’ career would look like once the safety of the four walls that guided and nurtured our talents would be left behind. Nearing the end of my time in university, I aimed to deeply savour the moment: early studio mornings with soft morning light seeping through the windows, paint-covered clothes and old brushes, and walls covered with endless explorations of what art can truly mean to the artists.
There is a sense of stillness that exists in most of the artworks I’ve selected, subtly guiding the viewer’s attention, a whisper amongst a sea of bursting patterns, bold colours, and busy compositions. Works such as Lorna Livey’s, Harley Yang’s, and Sarah Young’s emanate a warm and comforting glow, a comforting space in which the viewer can settle themselves into. These works invite you to pause for a moment and observe the beauty in simplicity, to rest for a moment and admire what exists in the present moment.
With graduation rapidly approaching and the prospect of a post-degree world slowly creeping in, I did not quite expect how quickly both my life and my professional goals would begin to shift. Suddenly I found myself strongly desiring to take my passion for art beyond simply painting works myself. I recognized the enthusiasm and dedication with which so many other artists around me were creating their artworks. This brought about the realization that I wanted to become part of crafting a space to elevate so many talented creatives, and led me down the path to curation. If there is one thing I retained from all of the classes I took, from studio courses to art history seminars to curatorial theory, is that art is meant to make the viewer feel something deeply. That is exactly what each of these pieces succeed in doing.
The remainder of the works I’ve selected, however, gently nudge the viewer forward. Works such as Mahir Siraj’s, Amada Estabillo’s, and Justin Mezzapelli’s combine realities of past and future. A dichotomy occurs within these pieces, as a sense of familiarity is found amongst these liminal spaces. These artworks capture a feeling of existing between two realities: what has passed and what is still yet to come.
As I continue to explore a post-graduation reality, I observe these works, study them in all of their infinite meaning, and remind myself to consider what new possibilities are hidden just around the corner, waiting to be uncovered.
Meet Isabella Nicastro: Curator and Artist
Isabella Nicastro is a Canadian artist and curator based in Toronto, Ontario. She is a recent Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate of OCAD University.
She has previously curated for OCAD U’s International Program’s office’s international virtual exhibition “Homebound”, as well as having recently created a comprehensive exhibition catalogue for the DRPT program that exhibited at OCAD U’s GradEx 110.
She has assisted with creation and editing for several journal publications and exhibition catalogues both locally in Toronto as well as internationally in London, England. Her personal painting works have also been featured in several exhibitions and permanent collections in both Toronto and London.
In both her artistic and curatorial practices, quiet and reflective moments permeate the space, with strong interplays of warm tones and emphasis on light and shadow weaved throughout. Emphasis is placed on concepts of lived experience, interpersonal and/or ancestral connections, and everyday rituals associated with domestic environments.