Posted on by — Leave a comment

Upcoming Exhibition “The Ghosts We Create”

I am so excited to announce my upcoming solo exhibition “The Ghosts We Create” opening on October 31 at cre8ery gallery in Winnipeg.

Last summer I had the amazing opportunity to participate in the Venezia Contemporanea Residencies Program in Venice, Italy, where this newest series or work was conceived. Since then, I have continued to work on the series while spending time in Switzerland, Canada and Hawai’i.

The exhibition, composed of mixed media paintings and papercuts, is inspired by wildlife and the pressing environmental challenges they face, causing their numbers to diminish until they vanish.

The paintings feature abstract watercolor washes that loosely evoke landscapes, playing with the dynamic between nature and emotion. The color washes are enriched with details in ink, acrylics, 18k gold and graphite. Opting to illustrate the wildlife in graphite instead of my usual medium of black ink emphasizes the fragility of our ecosystem and underscores the threat of wildlife extinction due to habitat loss, exploitation and pollution. The wildlife illustrations consist of simple line drawings and geometric patterns inspired by folk art from all over the world, and in particular Swiss papercuts.

For the first time I am also unveiling a limited edition of papercuts as a homage to this old Swiss tradition. I have had a deep love for traditional Swiss papercuts ever since my childhood and my illustrations have long been inspired by this artform and were translated to ink. A workshop in Switzerland in 2018 gave me the needed confidence to explore papercutting within my art practice. The delicate papercuts depict wildlife in my distinctive graphic style using patterns. The patterns unravel into lines of paper, echoing the message of wildlife being in danger of becoming extinct and disappearing in front of our eyes. 

My hope is to use my work to raise awareness about climate change, urging us all into action to protect our wildlife before more and more species vanish, becoming ghosts of the past. 

I will be donating 10% of sales from this exhibition to the Manitoba-based Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre. Wildlife Haven’s main goal is to treat injured and orphaned wildlife and to successfully release them back into their natural habitat.

The exhibition runs from October 31 to November 12, 2024 and I will be in gallery on First Friday from 5-9pm, Saturdays from 11am to 5pm. Hope to see you!

Ciao

Anja

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Two weeks until the opening – Healing Power

Two weeks from today my newest exhibition will open. It will be a different experience just like everything else in the past 18 months. There won’t be an opening reception and the exhibition will just be open during regular gallery hours September 2-14. I will be at the gallery Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and the gallery will also be open Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Masks are mandatory so it might take me a minute longer to recognize you hahaha

To read more about the exhibition please check out the previous blog entry. Here is a sneak peek of a few of the works included in the exhibition. I hope to see you at the exhibition!

Take care of yourself and make sure to spend time in nature!

trustingly sheltered – embroidery on surgical mask, 11”x4” unframed or 16”x12” framed
joyfully grateful – oil on canvas, 48” x 30”
optimistically serious – watercolour, archival ink and graphite on 140lb Canson watercolour paper, 9”x12” unframed or 16”x20” framed
exhibition poster with details
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Upcoming exhibition

It’s been a pretty tough 18 months for all of us and I am so grateful for the escape my art provides to me.

This newest series of work was born June 2020 in a remote cabin in Northern Manitoba. Surrounded by nature and being
truly unplugged for the first time during these unstable times, I felt my stress levels reduce dramatically.

Research has long shown that exposure to nature reduces cortisol hormone levels, boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production and many of us have experienced these positive effects firsthand over the past year and a half.

These new works are my response to the world-wide pandemic, ongoing environmental crisis, and the increased human divide. They explore the beauty of nature and wildlife, the relief this beauty provides during tough times, and the hope it symbolizes for humans to live in peace with each other and nature.

The delicate watercolor paintings are abstract washes of bright and happy colors, loosely indicating nature and flowers. I have added layers of illustrations in pen and graphite to add more organic detail, before adding drawings of Manitoba birds and insects in black ink, together with hand-embroidered plants. The animal illustrations consist of simple line drawings and geometric patterns inspired by folk art from all over the world, including Swiss Bauernmalerei and paper cuts. The paintings are light, whimsical, and beautiful and create a stark contrast to the dark and stressful state of our current reality.

The series also includes a small edition of hand-embroidered surgical masks, which reflect the harsh realities of today’s world. Masks, sterile and medical in nature are in obvious dissimilarity to the colorful and pretty embroidered flowers.

My hope is to offer some joy, relief and hope to the viewer through these delicate and pretty creations.

This exhibition is dedicated to my godmother Rosmarie. If we are lucky we get to share our lives with people who we love unconditionally and who influence who we become. When they leave, the world has a little bit less light and will never be the same. They live on in our hearts and continue to influence us in profound ways.

The exhibition will take place from Sept. 2-14 at cre8ery gallery, 125 Adelaide Street (2nd floor) in Winnipeg. As of right now Covid-19 restrictions do not allow for a vernissage/opening reception but things could still change. Make sure to check back for updates. As of right now the exhibition will be open Sept. 2-14 Tuesday to Friday noon until 6pm and Saturday noon until 5. If you want to come to the gallery while I am there come by Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays!

I hope to see you,

Take care of yourself and make sure to spend time in nature!

Ciao

Anja

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Amazing Swedish Dishcloth

I am sure that by now you know that I really care about living a sustainable lifestyle and about protecting our wildlife.

One of the products I really missed when I first moved to Canada was the Swedish dishcloth, but fast forward 20 years and I am so happy to see them grow in popularity worldwide. If you are not familiar with them, let me tell you all about them:

Swedish dishcloths were originally invented in Sweden in 1949 and are made our of wood cellulose and cotton. This means that they are hard when they are dry and become soft once you add water. Imagine what a combination rag and sponge would look and feel like and you’ll get the idea. These amazing cloths replace kitchen sponges and paper towels, which means that you can reduce your waste substantially. In fact one cloth can replace up to 17 rolls of paper towels and will last up to 9 months. You can use them to wash dishes, wipe countertops, and appliances. They are highly absorbent and will clean up all your household messes in a breeze. They can be washed in the top rack of your dishwasher or in your washing machine (no dryer please) and at the end of the cloth’s life you can throw it on your compost.

I am sure you can tell just how much I love Swedish dishcloths. Hahahaha I thought it was only fitting that I would add these to my line of stylish & sustainable homeware. I have had so much fun designing these cloths and the packaging and I am so proud to announce that I will be donating 10% of all profits to Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.

The cloths are available through my etsy store https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/897880964/swedish-dishcloth-2-pack-protect-what?ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1 and a few local stores – Generation Green and BREWTeas.

I hope you fall in love with Swedish dishcloths as much as I have. Thanks for helping protect what you love!!!

Ciao

Anja

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Protect What You Love

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since my exhibition “Protect What You Love”. It’s been a bit of a crazy year and I just realized that I never posted a follow-up to let you all know just how much money we raised for Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Together with Pulse Gallery, we were able to donate $500. I wanted to use this opportunity to thank everybody who purchased one of my works, all the fabulous women at Pulse Gallery for contributing to the donation and putting on an amazing opening reception/exhibition, to Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for being at the launch with two owls and for the amazing work you do and to everybody who visited the gallery. It’s nice to see that we can truly all make a difference.

Here are a few links to media coverage for the exhibition:

Global news interview, September 2019

https://globalnews.ca/video/5960836/environmental-art-exhibit-opens-at-the-forks

CBC Radio interview with Nadia Kidwai, September 2019

If you missed the exhibition here is a link to all the pieces on my portfolio site:

https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/anja-studer/collection/protect-what-you-love

I have been feeling very inspired to continue to use my art to make a difference. More news on that to come soon!

Ciao

Anja

Posted on by — Leave a comment

May 2021 exhibition at cre8ery gallery

The past 4 months have been so strange and hard for so many people in the world. So much suffering and injustice. First COVID-19 and then the killing of George Floyd. So many important and uncomfortable conversations about racism followed and are still ongoing. I found it very hard to paint and draw during these few months and to be honest, didn’t spend much time in my studio.

Then in June, we got the opportunity to rent a remote cabin. No wifi and most days, not even cell coverage. It was amazing to be unplugged for a week, in the middle of nowhere right beside a lake. I became so aware of all the sounds of nature and for the first time in months, I felt less stressed and worried. Just listening to the birds’ chirping made everything better. I know I am very privileged to feel that way because my friends and family are all safe and healthy. But I realized how watching wildlife and reconnecting with nature made things more bearable. I found myself pulling out my watercolors and ink and painting and drawing for hours.

Perfect timing because a month later I got an email from the gallery asking for a short write-up on my next exhibition scheduled to open in May 2021. I had to think about it for a few days but having these drawings and having experienced nature’s healing power, it seemed like a good starting point. I am very much in the early stages and don’t know exactly where it will go yet but I am playing around with watercolors, ink, and embroidery and also want to play with oils and embroidery on canvas. It’s exciting to dive in and see where I will end up.

Here is the statement I provided to the gallery today:

Exhibition title: Healing Power
A series of works exploring the beauty of nature and wildlife. The relief this beauty provides during tough times and the hope it symbolizes for humans to live in peace with each other and nature.
Please take care of yourself and your family. Wash your hands, wear a mask, keep your distance (sorry no hugs) and just be safe. COVID is not over and we need to be smart. And keep having those uncomfortable conversations about racism. That’s the only way we can all learn and be better humans.
Ciao
Anja
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Protect What You Love Exhibition

Growing up in the Swiss alps I always felt a deep connection to nature and cared about protecting our environment. I am sure my parents were at times annoyed by their teenage daughter giving them lectures about recycling and sustainable living. I didn’t realize though that they took what I said to heart until this summer when my mom told me that to this day she turns off the water in the shower while shampooing her hair. What seems like a small thing to do, she had done for over 30 years because of what her teenage daughter told her. It filled me with hope and it proofed to me that we can all make a difference by changing our own way of living and educating others.

IMG_0720.JPG
As a teenager (circa 1990) with handmade environmental activism poster on my wall “Please be nice to mother nature”

IMG_8274.JPG
Expansion of environmental activism message to throw pillows. 🙂 (circa 1994) “Please be nice to mother nature”

Over the past couple of years, the environmental crisis has been weighing really heavy on me and I have been working on a series of encaustic paintings about the impact humans have on wildlife.

Our oceans are full of plastics, our forests are on fire, the ice is melting, sea levels are rising and animals are becoming extinct at an unprecedented rate. As average global temperatures rise, the land and all the species that live on it suffer: Heat waves, droughts, hurricanes, and dust storms are growing more intense. The rising temperatures combined with other ways in which we have degraded forests, prairies and shorelines around the world now put food security, human health, and ecosystems at grave risk.

It is becoming urgent that we significantly reduce our emissions, consume less, buy sustainable products, eat less meat and plant trees. Based on a report issued by the UN and the world’s leading climate scientists we have less than a dozen years left for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C. Anything beyond this will have a significant impact on our lives as we know it. I truly believe that we can turn this around by making an effort. We don’t need to live a perfect zero-waste lifestyle but if enough of us make some changes to how we live the impact will be immense.

Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird, and mammal go extinct every 24 hours. This is nearly 1,000 times the “natural” rate and is greater than anything the world has experienced since the vanishing of the dinosaurs. The thought of so much wildlife going extinct is very sad and I want to do everything I can to protect what literally has provided inspiration for my art for the past 30 years.

My hope is that this newest exhibition helps to increase awareness about the negative impact we have on our wildlife and that it provides inspiration to take action to protect our world and its wildlife. Each painting within this series tells the story of a Manitoba animal and one of the reasons why the animal’s survival is increasingly challenged such as deforestation, loss of habitat or global warming. 10% of all sales will be donated to a local organization Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (PWRC). Their goal is to rehabilitate injured or orphaned wildlife in Manitoba and to successfully release them back into their natural habitat. I am very impressed with Pulse Gallery for agreeing to donate 10% of any of my sales to this amazing cause. It’s very heartwarming!

From Sept. 1 – Oct. 31 Pulse Gallery at the Johnston terminal at the Forks will be featuring a few of these works and for one night on Friday, Sept. 27 (7-9pm), all works from this series will be on display.  I hope you can join me for a night of art, wine, snacks and feathered friends from Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (they are bringing a couple of owls they are currently rehabilitation).

I hope to see you on Sept. 27 from 7-9pm!

IMG_5358.jpg

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Opening night moved to May 11, 7-11pm

A couple of days ago the Winnipeg Jets announced the schedule for round 2 of the playoffs against the Predators and game 7 (if needed) will be taking place on May 10. Considering this I have decided to move the opening night of my exhibition to the next day – May 11, 7-11pm.

Go Jets Go and see you on May 11 at cre8ery gallery!

Ciao

Anja

Layers-postcard_11P

Posted on by — Leave a comment

One month to go

The opening night of my solo exhibition “Layers” is only 1 month away. This week I finished my last painting and most of my sculptures. Lots of things still to do such as the naming of all works, working on an installation and of course promoting the show.

This series of work consists of encaustic paintings, illustrations, and sculptures. 

The works within this exhibition are an exploration of human existence and identity. We all have different layers to our personalities, due to the various roles we play in our personal lives, our careers, and the fundamental personality traits we were born with. We put on masks for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and some experiences can cause cracks in our layers. Some of our layers are visible and some are hidden, but at the core, we are more alike than different. Over time, we end up becoming complex human beings with many layers. To truly see somebody for who they are, do we chip away at those layers or is this accumulation of layers what truly makes us into who we are – complex and beautiful.

Each of the encaustic painting and hand-painted nesting dolls is a portrait. Each layer of wax within the paintings expresses a different part of the subject’s personality through abstract landscapes, photography, transfers of graphic patterns, and illustrations. The nesting doll sets each consist of 3 dolls and are hand-painted using acrylic paints. Each doll depicts an animal symbolizing a part of the subject’s personality. 

The clay sculptures focus on the damage life can cause. Instead of hiding our imperfections we should embrace them and realize that all experiences, good or bad, make us into who we are. This philosophy is underlined through the integration of the centuries-old Japanese art of Kintsugi, through which broken pottery is repaired with 18k gold, showing that if we embrace our history we become more beautiful.

Here is a sneak peek of some of my pieces and a fun promotional video for the show.

The exhibition will be at cre8ery gallery and runs May 10-22. The opening reception will be taking place on May 10 from 7-11pm. After May 10 the gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday noon-6pm and Saturday noon-5pm.

I hope you can all make it to the opening night on Thursday, May 10, 2018, 7-11pm.

See you at cre8ery gallery, 2nd-floor – 125 Adelaide, Winnipeg

Ciao!

Anja

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Colouring Book Launch

cover-flat-F.indd

After my last exhibition so many people told me that my illustrations would lend themselves perfectly to a colouring book. After months of hard work my colouring book “Familiar Friends” is finally ready. It’s been so much fun to see this project come together and I am very proud of the accomplishment to have published my first book.

The illustrations within my colouring book are portraits, exploring the physical nature, personality and character traits of people I have met. To me seeing an animal in a person is just like looking up into the sky and seeing animals form within the clouds. The portraits consist of simple line drawings and geometric patterns inspired by folk art from all over the world, including Swiss Bauernmalerei and paper cuts.

Many of us live stressful and hectic lives and we all find different ways to cope. I am sure you remember colouring as a kid and might think that you are too old to pick up your crayons again. But not so fast! Research has shown that even short times of colouring can reduce your stress levels and increase creativity. So much so that even the corporate world has taken notice and offices have started doing colouring sessions to decrease their employee’s stress levels and at the same time increase their creativity.

Give the gift of relaxation this Christmas! Available for $19.75 (SFR. 19.75) at McNally Robinson (in-store and online – they ship worldwide).

If you are local and want to get your hands on a copy right away pick up your own copy at McNally or email me at anjastudios@shaw.ca and we can arrange delivery.

A special thanks to Kyle for all his support, to Rob for doing an amazing job with the layout of the book, to Lindsay for proof reading and to Emily for creating this beautiful video to help me launch my book! Couldn’t have done this without you!

Ciao

Xoxo

Anja