2013 People’s Choice Award
Jessie Babin
Home: Dalhousie, New Brunswick
Title: Valmont
Media: Graphite and crayon on paper / graphite et crayon sur papier
Dimensions: 96.5 x 76 cm
Website: www.jessiebabin.com
Valmont: I believe portraits tell a story and go beyond the act of drawing or painting a face. A portrait is capable of capturing one’s personality and history. Every wrinkle, every scar, every blemish, however unwanted or disliked they may be are the representation of a person’s past; they are the story of a life. They thus have the ability to give the viewer a deep and intimate look at one person and their experiences. Valmont is my grandfather; he is 83 years old and happens to be quite the artist himself. I knew from the very moment I decided to draw a portrait for the Kingston Prize, he would be my subject. Rather than being presented in a way to flatter or hide so-called flaws, he’s been deliberately posed in a manner that allows every detail to be highlighted and celebrated. Personally I don’t believe in the stigma of aging. Time brings with it new wrinkles, bumps and lumps that we hate to acknowledge but are simply evidence of another year’s passing. When I see a face full of deep creases, age spots and saggy skin, I see a person that is able to say: “I’ve been through some life, and I’ve earned these stripes.”
2013 People’s Choice (Gananoque)
EDUCATION
2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Minor in Drawing, NSCAD, Halifax Nova Scotia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 Black Drawings, Capitol Theatre Art Gallery, Moncton, New Brunswick
2012 Smoke & Mirrors, Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
2013 Smoke Drawings, Botega, Banff, Alberta (upcoming)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2012 NSCAD Grad Show, Anna Leonowens Gallery, Halifax Nova Scotia
2012 BMO 1st Art Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
2013 Food-A dish best served painted, Gallery 78, Fredericton, New Brunswick
AWARDS
2012 BMO 1st Art Award (Nova Scotia)
CATALOGUES
2012 NSCAD University 2012 Graduation Catalogue
2012 BMO 1st Art Award 2012 Catalogue