Artists to discuss creative processes at OSA

Artists Rozemarijn Oudejans and Batya Cavens will explain work from their exhibit Personal Experiences at the OSA Orléans Campus Gallery on Saturday, Jan. 23. The exhibition runs until Feb. 7 at the Shenkman Arts Centre.

Gallery coordinator Guillermo Trejo says the reason for the talks is to explain to people art is not just a hobby, and the artists have a reason and concept behind their pieces.

“Sometimes it’s mandatory that they explain to you exactly what they want to say,” explains Trejo. “It’s not just an absent painting, there’s something behind it.”

Trejo notes that although there was a similar talk last year by Cuban artist Raciel Suarez Gonzalez, it was very brief.

“We want to start a series of talks every show, one per month,” he continues. “I think that it is a good opportunity for the artists to meet people who are interested in their art.”

Oudejans, whose art is primarily printmaking, was born and raised in the Netherlands but now calls Ottawa home. She works as a graphic designer.

Although Oudejans explains that this is her first artist’s talk and she isn’t sure what to expect, she hopes to help change attitudes about mental illness.

“I hope that people start looking at mental health issues more openly and with less prejudice,” Oudejans adds, “because mental health issues affect us all, in some way.”

Her work at the exhibition serves as illustration of poetry she wrote as a teenager struggling with depressive moods. She has now overcome her depression and says the artwork on display served as a bookend to that chapter of her life. Her original poetry is also on display.

Although her original intention was not to be an advocate for mental health issues, she notes it worked out that way. “I wanted to do something positive with everything that I had experienced,” Oudejans says.

“I think people that are coming to see my art will have questions,” she says. “I think they will be able to understand my intentions better.”

Born and educated in Tel Aviv, Israel, she has moved to Canada in 2002. Since then, her websites states, Cavens has “recommitted to her artistic passion and now pursues fine art on a fulltime basis.” While she takes occasional classes at the OSA, many of her paintings at the exhibit are work she has done on her own.

Trejo says the talk is also for people to understand the artists are just regular people experimenting with art. “It’s like a way to show the people that you can start an art class and if you really try you can do this,” he explains.

Cavens notes her motivation is to try and break the social, academic way of looking at art. “I think art is something very personal and you can do art with everything, any tool,” Cavens explains. “There is not one of way of looking at art.”

Meanwhile, Oudejans says she never saw herself as an artist and is still a little uncomfortable with the notion. “I just do what I like to do and I express myself and my thoughts in visual works,” she laughs. “Apparently people call me an artist.”

The talk will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., with Oudejans speaking at 1:30 p.m., followed by Cavens at 2 p.m. The Personal Experience exhibition began on Jan. 7.

The gallery is going to try to hold a talk next month with Mexican artist Victor Hernandez. His exhibit, Volatilia, opens on Feb. 18 and is being co-presented by the Mexican Embassy.