Lisa Mavian

My artwork is inspired and informed by so many things: the art of Rauschenberg, Twombly, and Asawa; architecture; ballet; and music, including Puccini, Michael Stipe, and Nina Simone. I draw inspiration from the poetry of Pádraig Ó Tuama and Elliott Smith, as well as Patti Smith, whose music and devotion to writing and art resonate deeply with me. I am moved by the profound words of Didion, Plath, and Woolf.

I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. I currently live and work in Toronto, Canada. My graphic design experience was honed as an Art Director at Chrysler Corporation in Detroit. Since moving to Canada, I have pursued design, calligraphy, and drawing, and I am now focusing most of my attention on my collage work.


Artist Statement

Collage is alchemy. It is the intuitive reimagining of disparate fragments to create a form of visual poetry. Analog collage is a meditative practice that forces focus and shifts narratives. By rescuing memory, selecting images, and reassembling them, I aim to communicate new ideas that are open to interpretation.

Collage allows me to combine my graphic design skills and artistic eye with free association to reinterpret narratives.


www.instagram.com/sentamentalist/

What is your first memory of creating?

My first memory of creating was at summer art camp when I was quite young. I'm not sure I loved it; I just wanted to go home!


What is your relationship to your medium? What draws you to it?

I feel that collage is a natural progression in my art practice. It was always going to lead me there; I just had to work my way to it. I love the idea of salvaging disparate images, which become my palette. Sometimes, the simpler the image, the more striking and powerful it is. I’m drawn to the way collage evokes emotion. It extends the life of ephemera.


What is the main thing you hope your audience takes away from your art?

I hope that someone who looks at my work can connect with an image or feeling within the piece, or simply walk away loving what they’ve seen, even if they don’t quite know why.


Tell us about a challenge you overcame last year.

A challenge I’ve been dealing with is physical pain and learning how to continue working and living with it. Challenges force us to take paths we may never have chosen otherwise.


What is your main goal or resolution this year in terms of your art practice?

I’m not sure I believe in resolutions—I always hope for and aim for growth and experiences!