The NSCAD community extends heartfelt congratulations to Ivan Flores, grand prize winner of the 2022 NSCAD Student Art Award. Ivan is a textiles/fashion major from Windsor, Ontario. The Student Art Award finalists were celebrated tonight at a gala event held at Port Campus.
The award jury selected Ivan among nine other finalists for his submission, a collection of textiles titled “Sleep Spit”, 2022
The Student Art Award jury included David Diviney, Interim chief curator at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Frances Dorsey, artist and retired NSCAD faculty, and Marianne Katzman of Katzman Art Projects. Ivan had the jury fully enthralled by his thoughtful and professionally presented submission, which was only amplified by the method of installation. The work is skillfully crafted and conceptually sophisticated, utilizing a complex material process to engage in a deeply personal and intuitive investigation of language.
“Sleep Spit” is a series of handwoven dream messages. According to the artist:
These pieces explore colour and texture through the conceptual framework of dreams, more specifically, exploring my personal intuitive and abstracted interpretations of the things that have been said ‘out loud’ in my dreams. These pieces are a physical manifestation of what these words and phrases mean to me as an aid for reflecting on the impact they’ve had. While using this concept as a way to interpret and better understand my own theory, that dreams force the dreamer to face the inner turmoil that they have been avoiding in their waking life, this project has also called on me to expand my personal colour language and build a similar language with texture. I do this by immersing myself into the dream and the feelings brought about by these words, and then interpreting them into colours and textures.
As the grand prize winner, Ivan is awarded a $5,000 purchase prize for his submission, which now becomes part of NSCAD’s permanent collection. The remaining nine finalists each receive $1,000 for their entries and recognition of being the best within their respective disciplines. They are:
- Grace Boyd, Tidal Urn, 2021 – Ceramics
- Hannah Craig, Athame, 2021 – Jewellery and Metalsmithing
- Amy Crosby, losing it!, 2022 – Drawing
- Ada Denil, Visible Cities, 2021 – Sculpture
- Ali Dixon, “They Shut Me Up in Prose”, 2022 – Film
- Keely Hopkins, Halifax Pauper’s Grave, 2021 – Photography
- Charlotte MacLean, Catharsis Machine, 2021 – Painting
- Jean Serutoke, imprinted bodies, 2022 – Printmaking
- Zehua Sun, Trilogy of the Home, 2021 – Expanded Media
Follow Ivan on Instagram at @ivxnart. For more on the NSCAD Student Art Awards, visit nscad.ca/SAA