The 2021 Canadian Student Art inspiration Challenge

LEFT: Solanne Bianchi Melchin, Subversion, Graphite on paperRIGHT: Prudence Heward, Girl on a Hill, 1928, Oil on canvas, 101.8 x 94.6 cm, National Gallery of Canada

The 2021 Canadian Art Inspiration Student Challenge

Celebrating Canada’s Future Artists

How do we cultivate the next generation of changemakers? What lessons can we learn from this country’s greatest visual artists? How do we creatively connect the past to thinking about the future? What role does art play in shaping the thought-leaders of tomorrow?

These questions were at the root of the Canadian Art Inspiration Student Challenge. In an unprecedented year the Art Canada Institute launched a creative challenge to reaffirm our mission: to inspire students from coast to coast with the work of this country’s artists and support its teachers in their heroic task of fostering our leaders to come.

We invited K–12 students to create works in connection to, and inspired by, Canadian art and art history. The resulting submissions revealed profoundly pan-Canadian and multicultural talent that bears witness to the incredible potential of art and its impact on young people.

We are honoured to share the work of this year’s winners with you. Their vision for the future of Canadian art is an inspiration to us all.

Black-and-white close-up portrait of a face with small tattoos and dotted markings, alongside words like “defy,” “create,” and “reinvent.”

Black-and-white drawing of a person pulling a sweater over their head, with their face hidden and torso exposed.

Pencil drawing of a baby with light hair and bright eyes, wearing a zip-up jacket, set against a dark shaded background.

Black-and-white comic showing campers woken by an alarm, then cleaning and organizing a bunk room with beds, lockers, and a mirror.

Dark, surreal illustration of multiple hands covering a person’s face under a beam of light.

Colorful abstract painting with layered patches of bright hues, a central flower-like shape, and a dark, scribbled circular form on the right.

Mixed-media artwork with a dark, starry background, colorful shapes and leaves, and speech-bubble forms containing words like “Say,” “No,” and “Islamophobia.”

Painting of a farmer in a hat planting rice in flooded terraces, with a small hut in the background.

Monochrome painting of a snowy forest with tall trees, falling flakes, and a reflective stream in the foreground.

Landscape painting of a winding river through green fields and dense trees under a soft, cloudy sky.

Colorful landscape painting of a blue lake between green hills, with flowers and sandy foreground under a swirling sky.

Colorful abstract collage of a running human figure made from painted paper shapes on a blue and green background.

Childlike painting of mountains under a bright sun with clouds, a volcano, and a buffalo on a grassy hill.

Exhibition

About Prudence Heward

Celebrated predominantly for her bold portraits of women, twentieth-century painter Prudence Heward (1896–1947) was a central figure in the Montreal art world, unmatched in her provocative, defiant depictions of modern women in the interwar years.

About the Student's Inspiration

“Prudence Heward, reputed for her steadfast portraits, was the first Canadian artist who stimulated my passion for feminist paintings that are psychologically complex. I remember being drawn to her paintings at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts from a young age, fascinated by the determination in the penetrating stares of her subjects, a revolt against the expected passivity of women at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, Heward’s works have been an important influence in my own work. The subject of my painting is MLMA, an artist, stylist, model, and musician of Korean origin. She uses her body as a canvas, whether through photography and montage, body paint, or eccentric clothing. This utter disregard for western beauty standards captivates me, a reflection of my own struggles as a woman in the midst of finding her place in a world with such narrow beauty standards. “Subversion” was realized during the most strict confinement measures of the pandemic, a period of profound isolation and introspection. In a way, this work is an amalgam of appropriation: it reflects the juxtaposition of the historical Canadian feminist Heward, of the self-portraiture of the artist MLMA, and of my own psychological portrait, highlighting the challenge of gender conformism / conventionalism. The superimposing of text illustrates the bypassing of the masculine gaze, restoring the feminine figure as a real subject, rather than an object.”

—Solanne Bianchi Melchin (Grade 11, École secondaire publique De La Salle, Ottawa, Ontario)

Painting of a woman in a red dress sitting under a tree, with a rolling landscape in the background.

About Alex Colville

Alex Colville (1920–2013) developed a signature style when he settled in his homes of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia after working as an official Canadian war artist. He is best known for his unusual use of perspective, his mastery of realism, and the interior worlds of his subjects.

About the Student's Inspiration

“In terms of the process of my work, I was inspired by the artist Alex Colville. Alex Colville is a Canadian artist who works in the domain of realism. He often creates works with human figures with tempera or oil paint. His method of working and his paintings inspired me a lot because our working techniques are very similar. He is often inspired by photography and photographs. For me, photography with the human figure is one of my main sources / ways of creating. Colville organizes his thoughts in sketches first and then creates his final works. In my creative process, I do the same thing. His process inspires me, but his works do also because I appreciate his use of detail and texture. He demonstrates shading and texture in a way that is very unique. In my work I tried to demonstrate where the light hits the clothing to create a smooth texture as in the works of Colville. This technique demonstrates a delicacy and depth in the work that I appreciate a lot. Colville will likely continue to inspire me, because his use of detail and shading is incredible.”

—Raven Martin (Grade 11, École secondaire publique De La Salle, Ottawa, Ontario)

Two figures sit on a sandy beach facing the ocean under a cloudy sky, viewed from behind.

Person on a ship deck looking through binoculars toward the ocean under a partly cloudy sky.

About Alex Colville

Imbued with a unique emotional intensity, East Coast artist Alex Colville’s (1920–2013) images of figures and faces are both restrained and revealing.

About the Student's Inspiration

“My art has always incorporated realism and precise proportions, but this drawing allowed me to concentrate on the specific characteristics of the face. In fact, this not only allowed me to explore facial expressions, but also allowed me to recreate the emotions of my little brother playing outside during the autumn. The art of Alex Colville inspired my drawing because of the personality that characterizes his work. He was capable of creating an interior world that captures the public, all while releasing intense emotions, but contained emotions at the same time. As an artist, I strive to capture the emotions and the realism of my work and I am therefore hugely inspired by the work of Alex Colville.”

—Sydney Lunde-Ingrey (Grade 11, École secondaire publique De La Salle, Ottawa, Ontario)

About David Altmejd

A star in the international art world, contemporary Montreal-born artist David Altmejd (b.1974) works predominantly in large-scale sculpture, creating uncanny works that engage with different conceptions of reality, transformation, and perception.

About the Student's Inspiration

“For years I have driven by the sculpture The Eye by David Altmejd and admired it. I’d see it every time I went to my grandfather’s and it is my favorite sculpture of all time. I admire the odd physique and the distorted wings―the sculpture felt angelic to me. I illustrated my favorite part, the head of hands. I found the placement of the hands around the head comforting―it made the figure look mysterious. I see this statue as a guardian of Montreal, being called The Eye and having an angelic presence. I feel it resembles a Watcher. I feel safe around this statue.”

—Sammy Keeb Rich (Grade 11, Westmount High School, Montreal, Quebec)

Bronze statue of a human figure with large wings and textured body, standing on a pedestal in front of a stone building.

About Pitseolak Ashoona

Community and cultural knowledge are at the heart of the work of Inuit artist Pitseolak Ashoona (c.1904–1983), a seminal figure in the establishment of modern Inuit art and the visual transmission of Inuit knowledge for future generations.

About the Student's Inspiration

“Just as Pitseolak Ashoona based her art on her culture and community background, I decided to also find my meaning by researching my culture back in Africa. The art work is based on the symbols (Adinkra) of my country, Ghana, with significant meanings and teachings. They are important in the way of life of my people. The title Roots is ‘finding my meaning through my ancestors.’ Finding all the beauty and even the history of war which led to an even brighter culture and way of art. The colours in the art work signify that. And the woman in the painting signifies me or any other person looking at one of the symbols which means harmony, faithfulness, love, and loyalty. Sometimes finding a place gives you all these things.”

—Angel Frimpong (Grade 12, Louis St. Laurent, Edmonton, Alberta)

Childlike drawing of bundled-up figures in colorful parkas sitting on a sled, with more people in winter clothing standing behind them.

Hand-drawn, vintage comic-style pages depicting a day in the life of a WWII-era CWAC woman, with scenes of barracks life, training, meals, and city outings, accompanied by handwritten captions and headlines.

About Molly Lamb Bobak

Molly Lamb Bobak (1920–2014) was Canada’s first official woman war artist, serving in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps. She created a diverse visual record of her experiences in service, including her remarkable autobiographical oeuvre The Personal War Records of Private Lamb, M.

Black-and-white comic panels showing children at summer camp waking up, cleaning, eating quickly, and marching in line.

About the Student's Inspiration

“The artwork I have created is a short comic about a typical day in my life at summer camp. This comic is inspired by the visual diaries of Molly Lamb Bobak, as well as ‘day in my life’ comics online. This work details my memory of Sea Cadet sailing camp a few years ago. Attending summer camp with Sea Cadets was one of the greatest times in my life, filled with fond memories of my friends and experiences. I took a playful route with this story, showing some of the daily monotony of waking up early and rushing through meals, but also the beauty and excitement of sailing. I was very drawn to Molly Lamb Bobak’s work when I first saw her visual journals. I related to the uniforms and marching from my own experiences with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets. As a proud Sea Cadet and artist, it is inspiring to see the work of the first female war artist in Canada. Molly Lamb Bobak’s daily visual journals are excellent pieces of storytelling through art. Her handwritten excerpts and small watercolour paintings capture the spirit and people of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps. She was able to share her experiences in the military in a humorous way, while bringing a spotlight to the hardworking women around her.”

—Danielle Alexander (Grade 12, O’Neill CVI, Oshawa, Ontario)

About Greg Curnoe

Greg Curnoe (1936–1992) used words and text in powerful ways throughout his body of work to challenge aspects of Canadian society, from Indigenous land rights to national identity.

About the Student's Inspiration

“I wanted to highlight how wearing the hijab gave me power and courage when I made this. The hijab acts as a source of light and identity for me, pulling me away from the darkness. The hijab is your crown, and no one should take it away from you, my hijabies. I’m always going to try to shine brighter than all the stars in the sky and make my mark. My painting was inspired by Greg Curnoe, especially the colour choice and wordings around the painting. I wanted to convey the feeling of light triumphing over darkness and destroying the darkness. When the recent incident in London, Ontario occurred, it broke my heart to watch these inhumane attacks on my fellow Muslims. I wanted to use my artwork to show how Islamophobia must end. ‘Say No to Islamophobia.’”

—Khadijat Dairo (Grade 9, Fort McMurray Islamic School, Fort McMurray, Alberta)

Faded pink sign with worn black text listing multiple surnames, mounted behind a clear panel with visible bolts.

About Helen McNicoll

Nineteenth-century Impressionist painter Helen McNicoll (1879–1915) captured the lives of girls and women in her luminous scenes depicting the Canadian countryside, childhood hobbies, and rural female labour. Picking berries, gleaning, and gathering apples are examples of the countryside tasks represented in her work.

About the Student's Inspiration

“In this piece, I stepped slightly out of my comfort zone and attempted a more impressionist style of painting. I was inspired by Helen McNicoll’s work depicting many female subjects placed in an array of settings. Also, I was captured by her unique and impressive style of painting. You can notice in the midst of the sunny and bright scenes she created that she really captured the roles of women back then. She weaved together a very intricate picture of the expectations and life of a female in the late 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s. In my piece, I wanted to do something similar but instead it would reflect my own Chinese culture. Back when my mom’s family lived in China, life was very different compared to present conditions. My painting depicts a young woman working in the middle of a rice paddy, surrounded by a beautiful landscape of terraces to grow the number one staple for billions of people. While the landscape is stunning, this piece also conveys the deeper meaning of the backbreaking hard work in the sweltering heat of the sun many women in China had to endure. Though I have personally never been to the country of heritage, I wanted to create a piece that would represent my country as well as the hard lifestyle that was once reality for many people.”

—Cianna Chin (Grade 8, Argyll Centre, Edmonton, Alberta)

Impressionist painting of a woman in a sunlit orchard reaching into leafy branches, with a basket of fruit at her feet.

Abstract blue-toned painting of trees reflected in calm water, with vertical streaks suggesting ripples.

About Kazuo Nakamura

Born in Vancouver, Kazuo Nakamura (1926–2002) was a co-founder of the revered Painters Eleven group, and one of the great Canadian artists of the twentieth century. His paintings invite deep reflection, and his unique exploration of the abstracted landscape is without parallel in Canadian art.

About the Student's Inspiration

“My painting was inspired by Kazuo Nakamura and it revolves around the Japanese phrase ‘木漏れ日 (こもれび),’ which in English is komorebi, meaning ‘sunlight filtering through the trees’. Instead of sunlight that is shining through the trees, it is moonlight. I thought to myself: why not moonlight? The nighttime is much more peaceful and quieter than the daytime. The reason why I named my artwork ‘playing with the night’ is because the white lights that are playing through the trees are spirits of light that are keeping a little girl company who lost her way and are guiding her back home where she will be safe. The reflection of the river represents the little girl understanding that disobeying her parents and going out at night even though they warned her not to is wrong. The colours that I used are Copenhagen blue, black, and white―a minimal amount of colour but it tells a story just as Kazuo Nakamura’s painting Blue Reflections does.”

—Krisetianna King (Grade 9, Encompass, Coquitlam, British Columbia)

About Edward Mitchell Bannister

New Brunswick-born painter Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828–1901) was a Black Canadian-American artist whose coastal scenes made him the most well-known painter in his eventual home of Rhode Island, at a time when slavery and racial segregation were realities in America.

About the Student's Inspiration

“I chose the style of Edward Mitchell Bannister because I quite like the impressionistic style and a light impasto. I also love oil on canvas. The location of my painting is Kouchibouguac, New Brunswick. I chose this place because we go camping there every summer and I have great family memories of it. Edward Mitchell Bannister grew up on the coast of New Brunswick, which is where I live, so in a way I am connected to the artist both in location and style.”

—Anna Stocker (Grade 8, Riverview Middle School, Riverview, New Brunswick)

A coastal landscape painting showing waves breaking near dark rocks on a sandy shore, with distant houses and greenery under a cloudy sky.

About Emily Carr

Beloved Canadian painter Emily Carr (1871–1945) communicated a deep love and respect for the natural world through her colourful modernist landscapes, which both celebrated the majesty of nature and engaged with the ecological issues of the day.

About the Student's Inspiration

“As a young artist, I have always found Emily Carr’s art absolutely marvelous. The contribution she made to Canada using her art and her talent truly amazed me. Her ability to establish texture and control in her artworks were what made her stand out to me and helped me grow as an artist. To exhibit Canada, a diverse and beautiful country, I painted each brilliant provincial flower of Canada, scattered throughout my painting. The sky and the mountains inspired by Emily Carr provide background to the bright flowers in the foreground.”

—Kate Kang (Grade 9, St Joan of Arc School, Calgary, Alberta)

Expressionist landscape of a logged forest with tree stumps and a few tall, thin trees against a blue, rain-streaked sky.

Colorful illustration of a man riding a bicycle with a child seated behind him.

About Greg Curnoe

A critical artistic leader in London, Ontario, Greg Curnoe (1936–1992) used intense colours in his work and explored subjects ranging from Canadian politics to his own family and home.

About the Student's Inspiration

“I really liked seeing a painting by Greg Curnoe called Self-Portrait with Galen on 1951 CCM. I like how clean-cut shapes painted with bright colours make up the painting and I wanted to try to make a work that I could construct from scraps of cardboards that my teacher offered me. What I love to do is circus and I hope I get really good at it. So I tried to show an acrobat with a hoop. I can imagine myself spinning inside it, throwing it, bouncing it and doing all sorts of fun stuff with it in the park.”

—Max Shniger (Grade 4, My Artlab, Toronto, Ontario)

About Linus Woods

Linus Woods (b.1967) is a contemporary Dakota / Ojibway artist from the Long Plain First Nation in Southern Manitoba, and creates expressive works that often incorporate colourful schemes, geometric patterns, and collage.

About the Student's Inspiration

“Paskwâw (prairie or plains in Cree) is inspired by Linus Woods’s work. I love his use of colour and little squares. I used stencils for the tipi and the bison. I added texture with gesso. I wanted to show what the land was like a long time ago on the prairies here in Alberta. It is the Rocky Mountains in the background. Now Indigenous plains peoples live in houses. The bison are few. The tipi and the bison are still very important to Indigenous culture today. Nimosom (my grandfather in Cree) taught me the Cree word for prairie for my title of my painting.”

—Maxwell Stone (Grade 2, Argyll Learning Centre, Edmonton, Alberta)