Montreal: Serial Concerto

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Acrylic on Canvas + Ink and Oils/Pastel

My artwork, "Montreal: Serial Concerto," is a rollercoaster of sensorial emotions and a guiding compass to life. The title is chosen for its sensorial and compositional depth, encapsulating the city's spirit: the "Concerto" represents the multitude of individual voices, experiences, and cultural movements that harmonize to create Montreal's unique sound, while "Serial" speaks to the constant, rhythmic, and sequential movement of life, like the metro lines, the passing seasons, and the collective pulse of its inhabitants.

This concept directly addresses the contest theme of Montréal, un coeur vibrant by portraying the city as a living organism, pulsing to the rhythm of its diverse neighborhoods. The metro stations and the series of movements described are a visible manifestation of a city that forever moves.

The Human Pulse

For many years, I’ve been confused of what I wanted from life, what life wanted from me, why do I exist, and why was I created when it mostly feels like a burden. In a world where mass media is scary and people are scary; I turn to art as we all do. Art is a way to shift perspectives, not really to escape but to notice the smaller details, the good days, the nice smell, the day where the sun was warm and crisp. The city itself became a canvas for this shift. I found humor and intrigue in asking strangers to write a single word or phrase that Montreal invokes within them. This was my attempt to make the project a collaborative effort with humans walking in this imperfect but passionate city.

I think somehow after COVID we all became numb; we all had to grieve. For some of us, it was a gift of discovery, while for others, it was a period of grieving and loss of life. I thought at one point the city’s heart had died off. But in between the nine kilometers and three hours I held this heavy painting and my marker getting the courage with my social anxiety to speak to strangers and ask them to write on my painting, I somehow at the end of the night felt full, overwhelmed by the kindness, by the light I saw in people’s faces by their creativity and passion. Suddenly, my numbness went away, and I fell in love with Montreal like I did when I first met it six years ago. That feeling wasn't just a memory, it was a full-body sensory shock, a profound spiritual reawakening. It mirrored the raw, visceral feeling I had when I first got onto a plane last year, the terrifying, exhilarating moment of lift-off and seeing the world shift beneath me. It was the same thrilling rush I felt when I saw New York for the first time on my own, facing a massive, unknown city and feeling utterly alive. Holding that heavy canvas, speaking to strangers, and absorbing their light, the city shed its gray shroud and became brilliant again. The kindness and passion I encountered were the jet fuel, the sheer altitude, and the overwhelming energy that banished the emotional void of the post-COVID years, proving that Montreal truly possesses that je ne sais pas quoi—a boundless spirit that ignites my own.

Paying Tribute to the Underground

The Montreal Metro is Narnia's closet—a magical, smelly, subterranean conduit where all sorts of spirits travel together. It is a temporary pause, surrounded by the breeze, people laughing, crying, and simply living. The metro is people; it’s a place where communities converge.

My painting captures this underground life:

The Canvas as a Station: The artwork uses the canvas as a metro station, with each window representing a seasonal feeling through evocative colors.

The Sensorial City: Inside one car window, I painted florals and plants, reflecting the city’s deep commitment to living organisms and the desire for nature to reclaim space in an urban setting.

The Ironic Landscape: I included construction symbols on the train, a nod to their ironically overwhelming yet iconic presence that is undeniably "Montréal" in its own way.

The Souls: Two windows feature abstract figures that represent souls, intentionally undefined by gender or race, symbolizing our city of culture and people living together in harmony.

The Narnia Door: The open doors of the train transport the viewer into a recognizable architectural icon: the Stade Olympique, a monumental symbol that grounds this journey in Montreal.

The Tingle of Arrival: The final window depicts Sherbrooke station. Hearing that name just before Berri-UQAM creates a tingly excitement for downtown—that final door in Narnia’s closet leading to your destination.

This is my practice: humans exploring human nature, the mind, the psyche, the trauma, and the wounds—the good and the bad of the entire human experience. This is what I’ll continue to create until my candle wick stops burning and my candle wax is no more.

Connecting to the Future

This piece exemplifies my long-term artistic practice. If selected for this contest, the support will help me fund my larger artistic, research, and exploration project on mental health for queer and neurodivergent individuals —a novella and exhibition titled "FLORA: Archives des Fleurs, Je Me Souviens". I believe that in a world shaken by fear, violence, and darkness, we must continue to be the light as artists, providing an embrace of warmth, unafraid to also be the darkness to see beyond, to educate and inform, to break down borders and face inner demons.