Using the tools the universe provides

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This article was published 24/09/2018 (2787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Four Winnipeg artists reconnected and showcased their understanding of healing after exploring natural elements and transforming them into art.

Kathleen Shellrude, Maria Epp, Nicholas Ahrens-Townsend and Roxane Nauboris just closed their exhibition at The Edge Gallery and Urban Art Centre, called Healing Elements, on Sept. 19.

The quartet was first brought together in 2017 while completing residencies at Artbeat Studio Inc.

“We are still in the healing path together and much more healthy now than what we were at Artbeat, for the most part, and so we wanted to come together again because we still had a pretty strong bond together,” Shellrude, who lives in River Heights and is a mixed media artist and ceramicist, said at her studio at 65 Dewdney St. in South Point Douglas. 

They explored flora and fauna, animals, plants, rocks and minerals, and air. 

“It started with the four elements, and then we figured that we had more than four elements,” she continued.

Ahrens-Townsend, who lives in River Heights, said the four artists felt inspired by the four traditional elements, earth, wind, water and fire, and sometimes some included a fifth one, ether, which has a spiritual aspect.

“These elements find their ways as imagery and symbols into our art. We thought ‘We are all healing from something and we all appreciate these elements that are found in nature and in the universe. We draw a lot of inspiration and healing from it,” he explained.

“People have drawn power from the elements through all time,” Shellrude added. “They are sort of universal components in spiritual journeys that people take and in healing journeys, from all over the world, at all different points and times in history.”

The Edge Gallery and Urban Art Centre had more than 100 art pieces created by the artists. The show was as varied as the paths toward wellness are. They cultivated their best to show how holistic healing can be drawn from the natural elements of the universe.

The exhibit was a way for the artists to see themselves past the point of their Artbeat time, not resisting the mental challenges that they once coped with, but see themselves as healed people. At the same time, they focused on healing as a universal topic, not focusing only on what they’ve felt, making it accessible to all viewers. 

“Our show was about hope, and we wanted to point out some really positive things that you can get from the universe and nature,” Ahrens-Townsend said.

Epp, a North End resident, said she was out in nature a lot this summer and felt like the animals taught things about herself. Her art, made with monoprint, focuses on animals and how they take care of their families and make themselves known in a place that seems hostile to them, such as the city. 

“I felt comforted and drawn in,” she said, adding that The Forks is a happy place for her. “I feel a lot of comfort when I am close to nature. It’s that history that’s there. The rocks are there forever, and they bring me back to my ancestors and a part of me that is unknown. It’s very comforting and transforming.”

To speak directly to an artist contact Shellrude at 204-615-5503 or katshell76@gmail.com or Ahrens-Townsend at 204-832-2111 or nicaterpillar@gmail.com