About

20 YEARS TODAY features 20 encaustic paintings created over the period of two years in anticipation of the 20-year anniversary of my move to Canada. Each painting has been created after an extensive exercise in remembrance, journaling and experimentation of form and technique. The body of work attempts to capture the many emotions associated with the continuous process of migration. Using abstraction, colour and texture to represent embodied emotions related to anticipation, adaptation, grief, struggle, commitment, realization, joy, fulfilment and nostalgia enabled me to externalize fragments from two decades of my life which have seen not only an ongoing process of migration, but also a process of growth.

 

Each of the 20 paintings represent a year in this process and evokes feelings and emotions associated with that particular time. Some are completely abstract whereas others incorporate symbolic and representational elements. I have chosen to work on 20x20 wood boards to give continuity to the 20-year theme and to create the pieces in encaustic as a medium that provides fantastic possibilities for texture and colour, but also poses interesting challenges and unexpected outcomes to the creation process. Much like the process of migration itself, the process of creation has come with many surprises and has asked me to adapt to constantly changing circumstances.

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All painting were created between 2020 and 2021 in 20x20 inches wood boards. Photographs are by Martin Schwalbe and pieces are for sale by contacting Adriana directly at aguaross(at)gmail(dot)com.

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Many thanks to the Guelph Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council for their support!

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