38. Kate Land - "Speaker's Corner" - 12x12"

“A city is a place where interesting always beats beautiful.”
— Megan Harlan, author

At one of my past exhibitions, I overheard someone call my paintings “wonky.” Although it was hurtful at the moment, I realized that, as an artist with facial differences, it is my mission to “embrace the wonk” by bringing my version of beauty to everyday, often-overlooked street scenes and cityscapes.

When viewed in an exhibition setting, my work can be enigmatic and unpredictable. One moment the viewer is admiring iconic glowing storefronts and the next they’re being whisked past a shabby local watering hole before eventually finding themselves standing in front of a rickety, yet still stately, Victorian semi.

I love filling my canvases with vibrant colours and wobbly, whimsical lines in a uniquely stylized celebration of the imperfect. It is my hope that the viewer is enticed to take a moment to look closer and think about what might be happening behind these façades. I may not be able to control how others see me, but I hope that through my art I can help them think about how they see the world.