Visual Artist
Laura Ciruls Painting Award
2012 Recipient
” Since receiving the award, I have continued to challenge the materials and formats of painting and made works that grow out of an inquiry into the medium of painting, as a means of trying to understand the world around us. “
What are you currently doing?
I am currently working on a few projects on the themes of non-identity and migration/border. Since the Award, I continued to challenge the materials and formats of painting and made works that grow out of an inquiry into the medium of painting, as a means of trying to understand the world around us. Denaturalizing the medium of oil on canvas and questioning its authority, my recent project “Don’t They Ever Stop Migrating?” is a reflection upon both painting and migration, attempting to grasp the fear that host populations feel about migrants. Her work both seeks to understand that sentiment and also to bring us back to the human. This work was shown during the Venice Biennale in 2015, toured to The Rooms in St. John’s and entered in the collection of Agnes Etherington Art Centre. A work in the similar direction is part of the exhibition Yonder at Koffler in Toronto. Other projects and exhibition can be found here: www.jinnyyu.com.
What did receiving the Laura Ciruls Painting Award mean to you?
What I appreciated most about the award was the recognition of the work I had been doing as a painter. Painting is falsely perceived as a hegemonic medium in contemporary art and I appreciate that it is valued as an important medium by this award.
What does private arts philanthropy mean to you as a working artist?
It means that art is appreciated and recognized as an integral part of our society, as something that is necessary for human existence.