DT—21
Christeen Awad
Christeen is a passionate fine artist who is dedicated to creating meaningful and inspiring artwork. Throughout studying Illustration at Sheridan College, she became fascinated by the visual nuances brought on by weather and the passage of time and finds her inspiration on location through plein air. Part of her process involves capturing moments, then translating them later in her studio. Her work revolves predominantly around individuals, society, nature, and the relationship the three share.
Through the lens of her own experiences as a 2nd generation Canadian and living with a physical disability, she hopes to evoke thought and emotion through her pieces and offer a sense of connection and relatability in her work.
“Beyond the Lens”
a piece inspired by a trip I embarked on to Egypt in 2016, I was visiting family, and in that 5 week journey I was privy to some of the most poverty stricken streets in Cairo. When I returned to Canada and was laying in my warm, clean bed, one of the first things I did was post a selfie of myself in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza… This awful feeling sat deep in my stomach, weighing down on me; after all I have witnessed the first action I took was to post a surface level photo, choosing to be silently complicit. The heaviness fueled me to paint this piece, inspiring me to dedicate my artistic career to creating thought-provoking work, in hopes to curate dialogue with my work.
“A Riddle or a Game of Dice?”
was specifically inspired by the experiences and challenges disabled folk (physical, neurological, or both) go through in life. The cards of life dealt to someone are out of their control, despite our desire to have that control, which is what the hand covering the lit dice and joker playing card represent. The cigarette and pill bottle represent how one is more prone to addiction when dealing with chronic pain, or socially induced pain, and the lined paper with ink splatters with no words represent how individuals with different neurotypes may express themselves. I hope this painting invites contemplation on the themes of fate, choices, and the interplay of control and chance.
“Underneath the Surface”
a vulnerable piece that represents invisible disabilities. At first glance, it just seems to be a young naked person in a bathtub, but upon closer inspection you see wires, circuits, and other robotic elements make up the body underneath the surface of the water. This is a personal piece that touches on my experiences with rheumatoid arthritis, and how others upon first glance at me cannot see the invisible disability I live with 24/7. The idea for this large painting came to me while I was in my bathtub desperate for relief from a flare up I was struggling with at the time.
“Scugog Lake”
a 6”x6” plein air piece. I am absolutely fascinated with the relationship of light, weather, time, and the way a scene drastically changes depending on these three elements. I drove 2 hours just to chase this specific sunset.
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