Mixed Media

Item Description

Come back to me (round and round), 2023, ink, acrylic, oil and chalk pastel, vintage photograph, dried flower, and spray fixative on colour photograph, 21 in x 20 in

My work merges real and imagined narratives to find connections between the contradictions and dualities of life. I seek to preserve the experiences and emotions that we share collectively but often experience in isolation. My process is an ongoing act of discovery and destruction: I repeatedly add and subtract, then obscure and scrape back. The resulting scenes are familiar but odd, recounting the moments that form personal history and identity.

"Come back to me (round and round)" reflects on motherhood, the life cycle and eternity. It explores concepts of love and loss, hope and despair, growth and decay. The background photograph was taken a few decades ago on the day I learned my friend’s mother had died. Parts have been scratched off then heavily painted over to create a new story. The collaged photograph shows my maternal grandmother and a boy holding each other close. I don’t recognize him, but I imagine the strength of their connection. In the original photograph, they are surrounded by an overgrown garden. Here, they emerge from a single dried flower, part of a huge bouquet I received this past winter. The arrangement was so stunning and comforting that I couldn’t throw it out; instead, I watched it fade and shrivel over several days before fixing it in its current state.

Come back to me (round and round), 2023, encre, acrylique, pastel à l'huile et à la craie, photographie ancienne, fleur séchée et fixateur sur photographie couleur, 21 po x 20 po

Mon travail fusionne récits réels et imaginaires pour trouver des liens entre les contradictions et les dualités de la vie. Je cherche à préserver les expériences et les émotions que nous partageons collectivement mais que nous vivons souvent de manière isolée. Mon processus est un acte continu de découverte et de destruction : j’ajoute et je soustrais sans cesse, puis j’obscurcis et je gratte à nouveau. Les scènes qui en résultent sont à la fois familières et étranges, racontant les moments qui forment l’identité et l’histoire personnelle.

Credit for Photo of Artwork/Crédit pour la photo de l'œuvre: David Barbour

Item Special Note

Artist Website/Site Web de l'artiste: http://www.meaghanhaughian.com

Meaghan Haughian’s artistic practice consists primarily of mixed media drawings and photo-based collages. She received her BFA with distinction from Mount Allison University, where she focused on printmaking and photography. Her work is included in private and public collections, including the Ottawa Art Gallery. Meaghan works for the City of Ottawa Public Art Program’s Exhibitions Section.

La pratique artistique de Meaghan Haughian repose surtout sur le dessin avec techniques mixtes et le collage photographique. Elle a obtenu son baccalauréat en beaux-arts avec distinction à l’Université Mount Allison, où elle s’est concentrée sur la gravure et la photographie. Ses œuvres font partie de collections privées et publiques, dont celle de la Galerie d’art d’Ottawa. Meaghan travaille au sein du service des expositions auprès du Programme d’art public de la Ville d’Ottawa.