Curators play a special role in bringing a collection of art to life. They work with artists to understand their perspectives, and then facilitate the sharing of their ideas and reflections with the world.
Recently, TWU Art + Design Honours student Esther Jungnickel took on this dynamic role of being a curator. Participating in the Art on Demand program at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford, Jungnickel curated an exhibition that reflects the cultural and political experiences of interdisciplinary artist Maryam Tavakoli.
Crossing distances and emotions
For artist Tavakoli, who spent her childhood in Iran and now lives and creates her artwork in Victoria, BC, exhibiting at The Reach was her first time to showcase her work in the Fraser Valley. As the curator, Jungnickel delved into the artist’s mindset and invited viewers to engage with the depths of emotion hidden within the artist's work.
The ability to hear and understand an artist's vision is a skill that Jungnickel hones as a student in TWU's Art + Design program.
TWU provides students with mentorship from professors who practice in their fields, and offers students many opportunities to showcase their artwork and build their professional portfolios.
Seeing worlds beyond
For the artist Tavakoli, witnessing the injustices faced by women in the Middle East from a distance is extremely difficult. Jungnickel shares how Tavakoli's art is informed by the multilayered experiences of the artist's past combined with her observations of her world today, "producing powerful expressions of identity, memory, and (in)justice”.
As she observes events in the Middle East from afar, Tavakoli feels a sense of helplessness and isolation that is expressed through her artwork. Poignantly, Tavakoli's pieces juxtapose strength and fragility, revealing a sense of empowerment in the midst of vulnerability.
Bringing artists' voices to the forefront
Jungnickel highlights the unique voice of Tavakoli's work. “I was first intrigued by Maryam Tavakoli’s work as the complexity and skill level of her mark-making stood out to me,” Jungnickel reflects in her curatorial essay.
Tavakoli’s drawings lead viewers on a reflective journey into the artist’s world. As Jungnickel describes, “The use of perspective draws me in and out, as though I could walk across each boulder or through the open door and perch myself in the field of fragmentations.”
Every turn presents a window into a memory, feeling, or a sense of wonder. “It’s hard to ignore the emotion of the girl covering her ears or the man far off in a wheelchair on his own,” Jungnickel comments on areas of the artist's works, “Or the looming feeling of the shadow that stoops over a child whose head is tilted to the ground, hiding her face from being seen.”
Exploring professional pathways
The ability to hear and understand an artist's vision is a skill that Jungnickel hones as a student in TWU's Art + Design program. TWU provides students with mentorship from professors who practice in their fields, and offers students many opportunities to showcase their artwork and build their professional portfolios.
This spring, Jungnickel will also be part of an exhibition at the Polygon Gallery, Western Canada’s leading gallery for lens-based arts. A joint exhibition, Response: Remembering Our Futures, featuring Jungnickel's work alongside several local artists, will be on view from March 5 to April 4, 2025.
About TWU's School of the Arts, Media, and Culture
Immerse yourself in what you love best, whether it’s visual or performing arts, media, or communication. Grow with others who are just as passionate and exceptional as you. That’s the beauty of learning in community. You’ll find your people here. Learn more at School of the Arts, Media + Culture.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.