Emma Ongman is an interdisciplinary artist interested in questioning structures of reality. She is currently inspired by the evolution of technology and its influence on human behaviour. Her recent work explores mainstream habits of media consumption and the potential of technology beyond its intended use.
emmaongman.com | @emma.jennine
Aisling Doolan feels being an interdisciplinary artist is the most interesting way to live out her human experience on Earth. She uses her cathartic artistic practise to see parts of her mind, that she otherwise may not have access to, in the tangible realm. Aisling wants to see spontaneity and raw human cognitive process in her creativity. Aisling creates and shares her art as a method of communication to connect to different parts of herself and others.
Isabella Savedra (she/her) is a fourth year English major and Studio Art minor. She is a queer artist currently based in Guelph, Ontario. Isabella is an interdisciplinary artist and writer that enjoys painting, pottery, photography, digital art, and writing poetry and prose. She explores themes of nature, racial and gender identity, mental health, and sexuality within her work.
instagram is @bella.savedra
Claire is a multidisciplinary artist and musician in her third year of the studio art program. Her current approach to image making is extremely meditative and gestural, relying on rapid intuitive movements of the arm/hand that often mirror the typical pacing of syntactic writing or childlike scribbling. She is particularly interested in the concept of surrealist automatism and explores themes of consciousness, the body, language, memory, catharsis, and psychedelia.
Elena is in her fifth year of Studio Art at the University of Guelph, completing her Studio Art degree with a double minor in Art History and Theatre Studies. Elena paints with bright colors and bold lines and is focuses on how portraiture can be used as a method of communicating one's personal trauma, healing and the pain that accompanies growing up. As a form of activism against anti-Semitism, her current work is meant to confront viewers of the violence that occurs against Jews today, though to also consider their own emotions and experiences based on the symbols and words that stand out to them.
Winnie is in the Arts and Science program minoring in Biology and Studio Art. Her primary mediums are oil, acrylic and pencil crayons. She focuses on realism and she is also currently exploring new themes. You can find her on Instagram: artistwinnie or winniec
Domenica Howley is an emerging artist based in southeastern Ontario working as a process-based printmaker. Her works reflect upon her experiences tree planting in the vistas of northern British Columbia and Alberta and seek to comment on the realities of industries that lay just beyond the Rockies. She is currently completing her final year of Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art at the University of Guelph. Howley was awarded a student award for her accomplishments in printmaking from the University of Guelph (June; 2019). She took part in the University of Guelph’s Juried Art Show (March; 2019), exhibited her works solo at Zavitz’s Gallery at the University of Guelph (February; 2020), in an online residency with the University of Guelph (March; 2020), Propeller Art Gallery, mail art exchange (November; 2020), and has an upcoming solo show at Medium Effort in Brockville (April; 2021).
Harley Duck is a fourth-year English major, minoring in Studio Art. Called a "hermit artist" by his mom, his practice features distortion of reality and unremarkable phenomena combined with themes from literature, music, and other media that influences him. Harley primarily works in painting and drawing.
Instagram is @DuckBender92
Facebook page for his kid's art class is Eraser Tip Art Classes, @EraserTipArt
Zoe Dougherty is a first year Studio Art major from St. Catharines, Ontario. Previously a caricature artist who worked mostly with ink, she took up oil painting and practices portraiture with her previous caricature experience and tries to get familiar with as many mediums as possible. She takes inspiration from the works of Egon Schiele, the Romanticism era of fine art, and the films "M", "Pink Floyd's The Wall", and movies directed by Richard Williams.
Sarah Bryant is a third-year honours student in the University of Guelph’s Studio Art program, focusing on painting, sculpture, jewellery making, and fiber arts. Sarah is an easily distracted human, who compulsively makes art inspired by people, experiences, and objects in her life. In reaction to her environment and shifting focus, Sarah experiments with ideas of “fine art” and “functional craft”, combining various skills into hybrid works including small sculpture, wearable art, and portraiture.
Mei Lein Harrison is a fourth year Studio Art major, minoring in Arts Culture and Heritage management. Their practice is interdisciplinary with a focus in photography and sculpture, with multi media works that often a combine the two disciplines. Mei Lein often explores themes of racial and gender identity, sexuality, and mental health.
Maeve Hind is a queer artist living in Guelph. She is studying Studio Art and Psychology at the University of Guelph with an interest in art therapy. She explores understanding anxieties, emotions, and childhood upbringing. She works primarily in drawing (digitally and non-digitally), video, and painting.
Emil is a fourth year studio art major and is minoring in biology. Working primarily within photo, video, and digital media, Emil explores themes of technology and communication, inner-fears, and mindfulness.
Kimberly Realegeno is a 5th year double major in Studio Art and Art History. Her artwork focuses on identity, memories, and trauma and how structures of colonization have influenced cultural preservation within the diaspora.
Colleen Alcorn is a queer, non-binary, Guelph based artist who creates work that focuses on the tension and space between lines. Working primarily with wood, metal and ink in various combinations, her multi- media sculptures aim to create a push and pull for the viewer’s eye. When working on a 2 dimensional scale, she aims to create balance through the use of repetition whilst exploring themes of identity, upbringing and the weight of existence.
Currently in her fifth-year double majoring in Studio Art and Art History, Rylee is continuing her studies and studio practice within the Specialized Studio program. In her practice she has found the process of a work of art to be the most intriguing and began exploring ways of breaking down her paintings to show the gradual build of each layer.
Nevan is a third year studio art major. She works with a variety of mediums including textile work, ceramics and painting. Most of her art centres around the formation of an identity and immortalizing emotions and thoughts as soon as they happen. Eventually, she is hoping to publish her sketchbooks and share her thoughts with everyone who cares enough to read them.
A self-described studio lab rat, her method of making is all about exploration and the manipulation of the materials she plays with. She isn’t satisfied with just doing it right and craves the happy accidents she encounters by not following the rules.
Welcome to the Interviewing Artists Series. This first episode is with comic extraordinaire: Julian Akrey!