The 2022 Canadian Student Art inspiration Challenge

LEFT: Eva Kudluk, Northern Lights, 2022Acrylic on canvas paper, 22.86 x 30.48 cm
RIGHT: Jock Macdonald, Departing Day, 1939Oil on canvas, 71.5 x 56.1 cm, Art Gallery of Hamilton

The 2022 Canadian Art Inspiration Student Challenge

Celebrating Canada’s Future Artists

What are the traditions in your community? What objects in the home do you find beautiful? What inspires you about the night sky? How do we connect to our living world? We posed these questions to students in Grades 7 through 12 this spring, inviting them to create original projects that respond to major works by artists in Canada. From food traditions inspired by Mary Pratt’s (1935–2018) elevation of the everyday, to the luminous northern lights in Kuujjuaq, Quebec kindled by Jock Macdonald’s (1897–1960) majestic night skies, the depth and breadth of creativity represented in this year’s showcase speaks to the resonating potential of Canadian art history in today’s world—and the importance of its continued cultivation for generations to come.

Saanvi Rai, Skin Deep, 2022, acrylic painting on canvas, 35.56 x 45.72 cm.

Illustration by Olivier Thibault of grilled bell pepper slices hanging on a wooden stick.

Painting by Eva Kudluk of a green and purple ribbon of Northern Lights in the sky above a grey winter landscape.

Painting by Crystal Li of several people in silhouette standing in an art gallery looking at paintings by the Group of Seven on display.

Abstract painting by Simon Huang of a glowing red sun with a black circle and irregular shapes flowing in its orbit.

Illustration by Chloé Desmarais of a girl, drawn in black and white, floating in a blank space with a ribbon of blue watercolour behind her.

Painting by Natalie Lait of a classical Chinese garden. A pavilion sits in front of green trees and both are reflected in a pond below.

Illustration by Anjanan Sivaganeshan of a figurine of the four-armed Hindu god Pillaiyar. Two small brass objects are photographed on top of the paper, casting dark shadows.

Painting by Maggie Zhu of a dinner table seen from above. Several types of food are shown, including a hamburger, fries, bao, bruschetta, and curry. Hands, some holding chopsticks, are serving themselves and one is holding a phone and taking a photo.

Painting by Barbara Gonharova of a two-storey stone building on a sunny day with trees in the background.

Digital illustration done in a realistic style by Nabeeha Irfan of a jar of green cardamom pods sitting on a wooden table.

Black and white portrait by Hayeon Lee of Yeon-Mi Park, a young Korean woman.

Painting by Anwyn Davies of a wharf at sunset with bent lampposts silhouetted against the sky.

Exhibition

About Prudence Heward

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

About Her Inspiration

Prudence Heward’s piece The Bather is the most controversial painting she created. It features a woman who was viewed as ‘unladylike’ and ‘unrefined’ because of how the model was positioned, and how she looked. Prudence faced a lot of negativity and critical feedback for her painting; however I always admired this piece. Prudence had always been criticized for the women she painted because they ‘lacked beauty.’ While I believe beauty is subjective as do many others, I wanted to portray how I felt about her paintings, because I didn’t want to perpetuate the long-ingrained belief that western beauty standards for women were the most feminine and desirable. Growing up as a person of colour, I felt like the ‘ideal beauty’ was unreachable to me because of how enforced Eurocentric beauty standards were on me as a child. Through social media and entertainment, features like upturned noses, slim faces and fair skin were seen as the most feminine. I wanted to show how both models side by side were beautiful and though one of them fits that western beauty standard more, they both have unique beautiful features that captivate the eye, making both of them in their own right ‘beautiful.’

—Saanvi Rai (Grade 9, Craig Kielburger Secondary School, Milton, Ontario)

Painting by Prudence Heward of a woman sitting cross-legged in a loose old-fashion bathing suit.

Student Artwork

Saanvi Rai, Skin Deep, 2022

Acrylic painting on canvas, 35.56 x 45.72 cm

About Mary Pratt

Newfoundland-based painter Mary Pratt (1935–2018) created a number of meticulously rendered images of food over the course of her career, bringing the historical still life genre into the contemporary moment with a photographic realism that she continues to be celebrated for.

About His Inspiration

I have always been fascinated by photo-realism; by the fact that an artist can recreate an object or a scene with a precision that is close to reality. When I discovered the works of Mary Pratt, I was immediately captured by her ability to conserve the interesting textures of everyday objects. Inspired by her work Split Grilse, I try to conserve the precision of the details as well as the level of luminosity of the colours in order to create the illusion of photo-realism in my work, Poivrons grillés. I also add contrast in order to imitate the theatrical and photographic qualities of my reference photo, just as Mary Pratt did. As someone who has been vegan for many years, I cook with diverse ingredients, that often possess interesting textures. This project has taught me the extent to which things that seem simple are in fact complex when we take the time to study them.

—Olivier Thibault (Grade 8, École secondaire publique De La Salle, Ottawa, Ontario)

Realistic painting by Mary Pratt of two pink fillets of fish on translucent paper on a blue table.

Painting by Jock Macdonald of several glowing orbs floating in space.

About Jock Macdonald

Scottish-born Canadian artist Jock Macdonald (1897-1960) was a member of the famed group of artists known as the Painters Eleven, and was inspired by a combination of influences that included philosophy, mathematics, and natural forms, as seen in his depictions of celestial bodies. He was friends with many members of the Group of Seven.

About Her Inspiration

The night sky is what inspires me to look at the details and see what surrounds me. My thought forms in nature, the northern lights, the way they dance is what inspires me.

—Eva Kudluk (Grade 8, Jaanimmarik School, Kuujjuaq, Quebec)

About Tom Thomson

Passionate about the great outdoors, Tom Thomson (1877–1917) is one of the most well-known artists in Canadian art history, and his modern landscape paintings of northern Ontario in particular have become critical touchstones for generations of Canadian artists interested in the landscape genre.

About Her Inspiration

My painting, Community, is my idea of a reflection of the Group of Seven’s paintings, which gave Canadian viewers an eye-opening experience a century ago. The Group of Seven was a group of artists that painted in the 1920s and 1930s, and that had a unique style. Their paintings helped break European traditions and initiated the first major Canadian art movement. They focused on the beauty of nature in a country mired in modern day technology.

—Crystal Li (Grade 8, Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia)

Painting by Tom Thomson of a forest landscape with a river running through the trees.

About Jock Macdonald

In the mid-twentieth century, Jock Macdonald (1897-1960) became one of the most radical artists in Canada, experimenting with abstract visual language in bold ways that brought together his fascination with science, nature, and the solar system.

About His Inspiration

Jock Macdonald’s works caught my attention at first glance, but what truly inspired me was Macdonald’s story: his pursuit of beauty through abstract art, and his philosophy of deriving beauty from nature. He was one of the critical figures in defining contemporary art in Canada. Inspired by Macdonald, I attempt to recreate that connection between beauty, nature, and the present. My piece takes inspiration from Macdonald’s technique as well as style to depict the contemporary threat that looms over the beauty and peace of nature. I imagined how Macdonald would warn the world of the consequences that the unfolding conflict in our world today might bring – while also reassuring us that beauty can still be found in nature amidst the chaos of conflict. Jock Macdonald sets an example of what an artist should be. His work not only inspired others to paint differently, but also to think differently.

—Simon Huang (Grade 12, Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia)

Abstract painting by Jock Macdonald of a glowing sun surrounded by swirling lines with two dark shapes in the foreground.

Photograph by Geneviève Cadieux of a woman with brown hair posing in front of a plain off-white background. She is wearing a red halter top and low-rise jeans.

About Geneviève Cadieux

Geneviève Cadieux (b.1955) is a contemporary Montreal-based photographer who is best known for her large-scale, often cinematic works. Barcelone is a series of nine large-scale photographs that together explore themes connected with distance and connection, exhibited on the south façade of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa in 2021.

About Her Inspiration

My work, Solidarité, was largely inspired by a well-known Canadian artist named Geneviève Cadieux. Geneviève Cadieux, a photographer and artist from Montreal, engages often with themes of vulnerability and creates interesting and captivating representations. I remember being fascinated with her exhibition outside the National Gallery of Canada, the long south façade. To get to school, I would pass this exhibition every day and I always wanted to learn more about the subject of these works. This exhibition entitled Barcelone engaged principally with the theme of solitude and represented the sentiment of isolation. Over the course of this past year, we have lived a life that is far from normal, and that was accompanied with many emotions like sadness, isolation, stress, and others. In my work, I wanted to share a space that allows me to escape reality and bring me to a place of serenity.

—Chloé Desmarais (Grade 11, École secondaire publique De La Salle, Ottawa, Ontario)

About Emily Carr

Beloved Canadian painter Emily Carr (1871–1945) communicated a deep love and respect for the natural world through her uniquely modernist landscapes, which both celebrated the majesty of nature, and often integrated a variety of cultural influences.

About Her Inspiration

My inspiration came from Emily Carr’s Grey, which was displayed alongside ink landscapes by Hong Kongese artist Lui Shou Kwan in the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2017 for the exhibit entitled ‘空/EMPTINESS’. It reminded me of Lee Nam, a Chinese Canadian painter in Victoria who was an inspiring friend to Carr, yet he is only known from her journals as none of his art has been found. The erasure of artists of colour in Canada inspired my piece, and the way Carr elevated these underrepresented artists through her work made me question who gets to be Canadian. My painting depicts a pavilion in the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver, surrounded by nature in Carr’s landscape style. My mom loves this garden; like the pavilion she does not originate from this land, yet she is Canadian. A testament to the importance of representation in Canadian art for all.

—Natalie Lait (Grade 12, Earl Marriott Secondary School, Surrey, British Columbia)

Painting by Emily Carr of a tree shrouded in grey fabric becoming part of a jagged mountain landscape.

About Mary Pratt

Light is one of the most prominent and defining features of Mary Pratt’s (1935–2018) masterful paintings, and she worked carefully to observe and represent the way it emanates, bounces, and moves by studying both real life and photography.

About Her Inspiration

Mary Pratt was highly notable for her mesmerizing depictions of otherwise mundane subjects through the usage of light and realism, which added a high level of sophistication and beauty to her pieces. Her works immediately drew me in due to their creativity and unforgiving contrast. Like Pratt, I strived to create a still life that surpassed the genre’s typical reputation of being impersonal and cold by selecting a range of personally significant objects, reflecting my life as a Canadian Tamil. The main subject is a figurine of the Hindu god Pillaiyar who is said to be the remover of obstacles, as seen with his multitude of hands, which bear tools of protection from evil spirits. I have grown to view him as a symbol of resilience for those seeking protection, something that has been understood in my family’s ancestral village in Sri Lanka for many generations, given its turbulent history.

—Anjanan Sivaganeshan (Grade 11, University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, Ontario)

Painting by Mary Pratt of a bright orange fire burning a large object in a snowy yard at night.

Realistic painting by Mary Pratt of a table after supper with most plates cleared. In the centre is a plate with a hot dog and several bottles of condiments, including ketcup, mustard, and relish.

About Mary Pratt

The family dinner table is a recurring motif in Mary Pratt’s (1935–2018) body of work, which features hyper-realistic images of various domestic settings that include light-filled living rooms, kitchen counters, and dining room tables like this one.

About Her Inspiration

During the process of creating my work, Mary Pratt was a heavy influence. Pratt was known for her realistic paintings and her ability to capture such emotion and detail in everyday objects. Family Dinner is inspired by what a typical dinner looks like in my family. Throughout my childhood, family dinners have always been a central memory in my life and the origin of many family interactions. Through my interpretation, I wanted viewers to feel like they were having dinner alongside my family, with the constant clashing of chopsticks, loud music from the daily news, and voices trying to overlap one another. As an Asian Canadian, my dad always made sure to introduce me to as many cultures as he could, often clashing the East with the West in the process. This piece illustrates a unity of diversity and highlights an important aspect of my experience growing up.

—Maggie Zhu (Grade 10, J.N. Burnett Secondary, Richmond, British Columbia)

About Henrietta Mabel May

Henrietta Mabel May (1877-1971) is best-known for her unique spin on the Impressionist style that she was exposed to during her travels to Paris at the peak of its influence – one she experimented with after becoming a founding member of the famed Beaver Hall group in Montreal in 1933.

About Her Inspiration

I have taken inspiration from Henrietta Mabel May’s artwork. It reminds me of memories as she is an Impressionist and most of her artwork represented the things around her. I have painted a historical building from my home country, Ukraine, the “Dom Kluykvi.” The warmth of the sun in my memories from Ukraine will stay with me despite current events. The best will stay with me, but we won’t forget the worst.

—Barbara Gonharova (Grade 11, Art Studio Arthouse, Innisfil, Ontario)

Impressionist painting by Henrietta Mabel May of houses and sheds on hilly farmland.

About Mary Pratt

Perhaps no other motif is as recognizable in Mary Pratt’s (1935–2018) work than her jars of jelly, which have been rendered with her signature combination of precision, a mastery of light, and a careful attention to the beauty of the everyday.

About Her Inspiration

This piece is inspired by Mary Pratt and her realism through the depiction of simplistic items that encompassed her daily life. Her techniques for developing her pieces were meticulously detailed as she aimed to capture light and textures. She often took numerous photographs and illustrated them, working with mediums such as oil paint. Enthralled by the simplicity and precision of her work, I illustrated an item from my daily life that signified a curation of culture. This illustration depicts a common spice used in South Asian delicacies known as cardamom. I wished to demonstrate a similar understanding of how the ordinary in one’s life is representative of their unique identity, and a visceral connection. Through this process, I was able to reflect on the physical intricacies of creating light and shadow, and trying to match the myriad of colours that a single object is composed of.

—Nabeeha Irfan (Grade 10, Old Scona Academic, Edmonton, Alberta)

Realistic painting by Mary Pratt of light illuminating several jars of jelly on a table.

Portrait painting by Prudence Heward of a woman with short red hair wearing a short-sleeved orange blouse and pearl necklace.

About Prudence Heward

Prudence Heward (1896–1947) often made portraits of independent women who showed a confidence and assuredness that most artists did not portray in the mid twentieth-century moment when gender roles were radically changing for Canadian women, who had more of a public presence and started to protest inequalities.

About Her Inspiration

Since Covid-19 has started to spread in 2019, I’ve seen numerous attacks against people of Asian ethnicity. It pains me to see this happen to others, and knowing my family and friends could also be victims terrifies me. I decided to draw a portrait of Yeon-Mi Park, a young activist of North Korean descent. She has experienced multiple hardships throughout her life, but has remained diligent. I was inspired by the Canadian artist Prudence Heward, who specializes in portraits of women. Her art pieces motivated me to get out of my comfort zone and work on human anatomy. Therefore, I hope one day humanity will learn how to respect one another without any discrimination.

—Hayeon Lee (Grade 10, L’Odyssée, Moncton, New Brunswick)

About Peter Gough

Peter Gough (1947-2020) was a contemporary Nova Scotian artist whose dedicated artistic practice focused on the natural wonders of the rural landscape and its careful rendering through strategies connected to realism and a deep sense of connection to the physical milieus he brought to life in his work.

About Her Inspiration

Peter Gough, born 1947, is a Nova Scotian artist. His 2010 acrylic painting on canvas entitled Against the Sea is my primary inspiration, although I do admire other pieces of his work. I live in Nova Scotia and the sea provides a backdrop to many things I see daily. The sea is a living object, framing both natural and handmade structures. It changes with wind, light and activity. Gough’s website describes this painting as “imbued with a luminosity that transcends realism”. In my oil painting, Drunken Lampposts, I have tried to capture how the sky’s light is reflected by the ocean, highlighting the stark lines of the wharf and their structures. I wanted to capture a moment of peace before the busy Halifax waterfront erupted with the daily bustle; a time to breathe and reflect on the beauty around me.

—Anwyn Davies (Grade 12, King’s-Edgehill School, Windsor, Nova Scotia)