Blog
Internationally Inspired
08 . 23 . 2023
We caught up with four artists whose global cultural backgrounds, travels, and experiences have influenced their artistic creativity. Step into their worlds at the One of a Kind Holiday Show, December 7-10!
Although classically trained, metalsmith Jaqueline Garrity's formula for design is anything but standard. Rather, Jacqueline cites her creative process as unique and bizarre. It leaves room for failure, flow and creative resolution for a design to evolve as it is created.
What motivates you to create?
Jacqueline: Creating is a part of my daily routine, part of why I exist. When I'm not working on jewelry, I am painting, writing, or sculpting. When I'm not entangled in one of those expressions, I am absorbing art through film, literature, and music. So, what motivates me is everything.
What does your artwork represent?
Jacqueline: A continuous exploration of self. The exploration of the human experience within the female form and perspective of a woman. Everything extends from my experience in this world. As I grow through trauma, through pain, through happiness and romance, my work embodies the emotions, experiences and energies that come from within me.
Can you cite an instance from your own life that served as inspiration?
Jacqueline: Most recently my experience and time spent in Norway comes to mind. I spent 7 days on the Island of Senja by myself in a cabin, exploring the area around me and going on hikes. More than once, I saw the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) which was absolutely fascinating, perplexing and the most beautiful thing I've seen to date. My most recent collection serves as a reminder of my time in Norway, and the treasure that is the Aurora.
WERIEM is a native French and Tunisian artist with a passion for performing arts, a love of historical aesthetics, an eye for detail and a decade of experience designing costumes for live performances such as the Royal Swedish Opera and Opera Lafayette.
Tell us about your creative process.
WERIEM: My creative process involves using colored pencils to carefully layer pigments, allowing me to infuse my drawings with depth, richness, and energy. At times, I also work with black ink alone, creating bold and graphic compositions through striking contrasts.
What do you hope to convey through your work?
WERIEM: Through my work, I hope to transport viewers to a realm of imagination and emotion. I want them to feel a connection to the performing arts, I invite viewers to delve into their own imaginative worlds and life's theatricality.
What's an instance from your own life that has served as inspiration?
WERIEM: I recently launched a series of original drawings and self-portraits, titled "SOLILOQUIES" directly inspired by my inner journey as a visual artist for the past 10 years. Each drawing delves into the realm of self-reflection, and it goes beyond physical representation. As the viewers explore these pieces, they may recognize aspects of themselves or someone close to them.
Best friends Sarah Liderri and Lauren Park teamed up to co-found their Toronto-based brand Verre Lune, making clean, eco-friendly, reusable candles that elevate every space by not compromising on quality or aesthetic.
What is your mission?
Lauren: We believe in bridging the gap between luxury and responsibility in an otherwise binary market. Our goal is to change the way people buy candles, which is why we've created custom-made refills, an easy way for customers to participate in the circular economy while saving and testing new scents.
What do your candles represent?
Lauren: For our customers and community, we hope our candles represent taking time for themselves and indulging in the little luxuries. For us, they represent a new generation of self-care products. We wanted to take an industry that was historically built on mass production, toxic ingredients, and one-use products and flip it by focusing on small batches, clean ingredients, sustainable materials, and reusability. Our candles represent this shift.
What served as the inspiration for the name Verre Lune?
Lauren: Verre Lune as a whole is a nod to our mothers, who always went above and beyond to make our homes a place of comfort and warmth. The name itself, which translates to "glass" and "moon" in French, is a play on their maiden names - Verriere (deriving from glassmaker) and Mun (pronounced moon).
Drawing from 30 years of practicing Ayurvedic herbal medicine, Luna Delgado formulates and hand crafts botanical body products that she hopes will inspire eco-mindfulness and the value of listening to our bodies and respecting nature.
Tell us about your work.
Luna: I formulate luxury farm to body products that are based in Ayurvedic medicine concepts and thoughtfully handcrafted for improving wellness and vitality. The richly bioactive serums, toners and formulas are blended using raw materials of the highest quality and purity available to me.
What motivates you to create?
Luna: I am motivated to create as a result of my deep love of nature and finding balance within. My entire life I've been fascinated with nature, the vast oceans, high mountain peaks, deserts and forests; I spent many years traveling, studying and living in stunning environments throughout the US and India. One of the most profound aspects of this nomadic lifestyle for me was to learn how stunningly beautiful our natural world is and the vast offerings of plant medicine.
What does Luna Delgado Botanicals represent?
Luna: The power of plants and how they can easily guide us to a balanced and whole state.
Meet and shop from these makers and hundreds more at the One of a Kind Holiday Show, December 7-10!