Artist Statement:
Title: For The Beach Where I Grew Up
Medium: Wood carving printed on rice paper
Size: 30 cm x 12
I first came across Auguries of Innocence by William Blake when I was 13 years old. Something about the first few lines, 'to see a world in a grain of sand...' gave me pause to consider things outside of my angsty teenage bubble - to look closely at the world around me in a way that meant looking outside from myself. As an artist and environmental educator I think that this ability is an incredibly important, at times radical undertaking. The fetishization of 'untouched wilderness' far away from cities and people comes at a cost - we stop valuing the natural world in front of us. Urban beaches, public parks, and sidewalk weeds valiantly pushing through concrete all have stories to tell, but we must look (and listen) closely.
Artist Bio:
Zoe Cilliers is a settler Canadian who grew up in Surrey - on Semiahmoo and Snokomish territory. After studying printmaking at Emily Carr University she moved to Vancouver Island in 2017 following a desire to learn about biology/botany and find pathways between the world of art and science. She is into teaching accessible science, subverting capitalism through art, telling stories and making books. Currently Zoe is completing a Diploma in Restoration Biology at the University of Victoria and planning public art projects which connect people to the places they live. You can find more of her work on Instagram @zoecilliers