Category Archives: Soulful Expressions

“Natura Morta”: The Photography of Maria Ionova-Gribina

Lovingly posed dead animals reflect an artist’s childhood memories

As was the case for so many of us, Russian photographer Maria Ionova-Gribina’s first encounters with death were accidental — chance meetings with dead animals as she played with her brother in the woods near her childhood home. Fueled by … Continue reading

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The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic

The grandmother of performance art throws her own funeral

One can’t talk about avant-garde art without mentioning Marina Abramovic. The Serbian artist carved a name for herself in the art world through her cathartic, sometimes disturbing performances. Her goal is to create art that makes us slightly uncomfortable, and … Continue reading

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Inuk Woman Wins National Award for Memorial Quilt

Memorial quilt depicts strength in times of hardship

Veronica Puskas, who grew up in Nunavut’s Kivalliq region, won Quilt Canada’s 2014 prize for Excellence in Work by a first-time exhibitor. Her award-winning artwork “Pillars of Strength” is based on a photograph that depicts two figures — her mother … Continue reading

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Grief Point: Dancing in the Abyss

Evocative contemporary dance piece expresses the confusion of grief

“Grief Point,” an award-winning solo contemporary dance choreographed by Sidra Bell and performed by Moo Kim, invites viewers into a universal aspect of grief that is often considered a private experience in the Western world. “Grief Point” is based on Loscil’s … Continue reading

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Pills Can’t Stop the Inevitable: The Candy Art of Felix Gonzalez-Torres

An artist shows his audience the futility of fighting death

The late artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres was no stranger to the issue of mortality. In one of his works, he tackled the subject of death from the perspective of HIV/AIDS patients, depicting scenes of empty beds on billboards. Earlier in his … Continue reading

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Portraits of Grief and Loss

The work of Käthe Kollowitz

Grief and loss are a universal part of the human experience. Each of us at some time in our lives has or will experience a loss so profound that it shakes us to our core and forever changes how we … Continue reading

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