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Art show documents 'survival' at Surrey gallery

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NEWTON — If you’re planning to check out Newton Cultural Centre Gallery’s exhibit, Survivors, don’t expect to see images of remote jungle living from reality television.

No, the gallery’s current show is about a different kind of survivor.

“For some of us, surviving is just coming out the other side. Nevermind that we’re damaged, you’ve come out the other side,” said Jennifer Wyatt, the gallery’s events co-ordinator. Wyatt also has a few written pieces on display as part of the Survivors exhibit.

“For some of us, surviving is coming out the other side and having learned something. A lot of the art is showing that we’ve learned something and hoping that it doesn’t happen again.”

What are they survivors of? Cancer, miscarriage, abuse, mental illness and other major crises. It’s no walk through reality TV, Wyatt says.

The outlet for the seven artists in the show is what helped them survive, but the act of letting it all show was the daunting part of creating the work.

“All seven of us have things to say,” Wyatt said with a chuckle.

“For a lot of us, these are very therapeutic works. They may not be pretty, but they are very therapeutic.”

Works in the show include installations showing colostomy inserts impaled on a metal spine, a made bed with a quilt identifying words like “disown” and “pain” hanging from a tree, abstract paintings and written word.

As for her own survival, Wyatt said revealing her stories was “really nerve-wracking.”

“It’s such a personal thing, that putting it on the wall still clenches my stomach,” she said.

Likewise, other artists in the show had a hard time getting down to the nitty-gritty and telling-all through their art.

“It was hard for [some people] to do, because most families are messed up and have issues, and getting that out and putting it up on the wall — it’s actually admitting that there’s something going on,” Wyatt explained.

In the end, though, Wyatt hopes the exhibit will help people see that they, too, can survive with a little bit of personal art therapy.

“I don’t care if your outlet is sports, go for it. Art works for a lot of people, and I don’t think they try. I don’t think a lot of people realize you can just paint a picture — nobody needs to see it. Write a few words, nobody has to read it. Just do something for yourself,” she said.

Survivors is showing at Newton Cultural Centre Gallery from Thursday, Jan. 15 to Jan. 30. An opening reception takes place this Saturday (Jan. 17) from 1 to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

kalexandra@thenownewspaper.com