Anita Van Zeumeren

I am interested in thin places. Rather than being confident in narratives that boast having all the answers, I am becoming comfortable in the thin place of the unknown. I choose to wrestle and wonder through my art about the narratives of colonialism, capitalism and patriarchy. In the thin place of hope, I am finding an emerging world of love and interconnectedness in place of hierarchy, domination and control. 

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My art process is one of layering; beginning with the drawing, then laying down colour fields, next creating form and then slowly articulating the fine details.  I see this mirroring my journey of deconstruction. It is a step by step process of slowly finding a way to articulate new ways of being in the world. It is also reflected in the metaphors I choose that are layered with both the hope I am finding and the questions that my former world view forced me to ask.  

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My current series asks questions of culpability in the face of injustice towards Indigenous Nations. Except for the generosity shown to me through the teaching and testimonies of Indigenous elders, friends and survivors, I could not paint these images. 

This particular piece, God is Red, challenges the narrative that the earth is to be dominated and commodified. These moccasins long to a traditional dancer. As she moves, her feet never completely leave the ground symbolizing her inherent connection to the earth. Perhaps it is an Indigenous understanding of the earth that will save us?