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Hi, I'm Sue
Artistic Statement
My artistic work is an exploration of the paradox of having been sculpted by the sharpness of generational grief and knowing that your memories and your family’s memories and your art and your pain have made this worldview singular to you, making it necessary no matter where you are or who you are presenting it to.
Navigating the heaviness of the past and uncertainty of the future can be daunting and, frankly, relentless. This is why joy is a fundamental piece of my art; I believe that difficult subject matter can be even more impactful when broached through an approachable, joyful lens. Richard Pochinko believed in starting each day with a dance of joy so that one way or another, regardless of what the day would bring, joy would return to him. I can’t help but ask myself what the more sustainable practice is: do I cry to alleviate my pain or do I dance in spite of it? Life has taught me the release that comes from the tears and the levity that comes from the dance.
The theatre that moves and heals me chases both of these feelings and builds balance between them.
Kaylin schenk photography
I make my proverbial bag here in Treaty 6 Territory (colonially known as Edmonton, Alberta.) As someone who lives in this body with roots stretching beyond Turtle Island to Guyana, China, and lands unbeknownst to me, I am grateful for the parts of my heritage that have rooted me here in this gorgeous land that has nourished me, taught me, humbled me, and sheltered me. I benefit from the tremendous losses suffered by the Indigenous peoples who cared for this land long before I was born. I work every day to learn, listen, and do as much as I can to be a little better of an ally today than I was yesterday, and to do a bit better tomorrow than I did today.
A brief photo
history
