Epiphany

"The Glorious Dead"

I recently graduated from the Visual and Digital Arts program at Humber College, Toronto. As a creator, I pursue fictional themes and scenes that can be relatable yet dreamlike. Ideas are intuitive and are heavily influenced by my interests and perception of the world. I look for inspiration from day-to-today experiences and reference images from personal photographs or the web. Observing the nuances of color and light in my surroundings helps me to inculcate believability in my illustrations. Being highly influenced by nature, I gravitate towards capturing a character in an environment and use lighting to bolster the story.

‘The Glorious Dead’ is inspired by a memorial in Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Toronto. Here, I have used color and lighting to emphasize the mood, creating a serene atmosphere and a character enjoying her solitude. The lighting creates drama and brings the focus towards the cenotaph that reads ‘Glorious’, honoring the world war martyrs.

"Pinball Machine"

'Pinball Machine' - This is a vector illustration of a pinball machine having an underwater theme. I have included stylized sea creatures and patterns with coral reef inspired colors to complement the blue-greens. Orcas are used as flippers as they are known to flip seals into the air. The pinball elements have depth, and the illustration of a pearl for the pinball, ripples, net, submarine, stingrays and fish patterns create a cohesive look and feel.

"Refreshment"

My first work 'Refreshment' was inspired by my nostalgic experience looking through the patio door of my current living space. Nature has a very soothing effect and I wanted to capture the feeling of refreshment by the intermingling of nature and architecture. The rabbit and a mythical creature in the background aims to portray a feeling of warmth and whimsy.

"Looking Forward"

'Looking Forward' was inspired by the concept of moongate. It uses shadows in the foreground to represent the past. Intends to show the character leaving behind something good which no longer serves her. She is looking forward to a potentially bright future, but clouded with uncertainty.

"Embrace the Cat Within"

A photograph I took of a giant tree at High Park, Toronto influenced the piece 'Embrace the Cat Within'. The tree is a reflection of the character’s need for strength and stability. Her small size indicates self doubt, and the cat being symbolic of the character’s confidence and free spiritedness is waiting for her to embrace it.

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Aishwarya C Jagadeesh was born in Bangalore, India, and currently lives in Toronto, Canada. As a visual artist, she has experimented with digital media as well as the traditional mediums such as oils, acrylics and watercolours. Her focus is on creating detailed digital illustrations evoking a feeling or a mood. Having an engineering background, she transitioned to art by freelancing and educating children at a local gallery in Bangalore, India. Her artistic journey led her to Toronto, where she graduated from Humber College’s Visual and Digital Arts program with Honours. Aishwarya is presently working on a series of digital illustrations set in an environment, which aims to stretch the play of colour and light. She was part of the VADA Graduation Exhibition, Dawn, 2022 at Humber Galleries, Toronto, Canada.