Joanne Gales

Marigold

Marigold in Bloom was inspired by the concept of femininity and celebrating the birth flower for the month of October. Marigold represents power, strength, and light that lives inside of a person, which I think are characteristics that best describe feminism. The strongest hue of the work is mainly purple which I chose because it best represents power, wisdom, and dignity.

Artist Statement

I always aspire to incorporate a piece of my Filipino heritage in every artwork that I do. Growing up in the Philippines I was able to witness the vibrant colours from different tribes, different islands, and festivals that the Philippines celebrate. The traditional practices and craftsmanship of the indigenous tribes in the Philippines play a heavy influence in my artwork.

Mambabatok

"Mambabatok" was inspired by Apo Whang-od a 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Kalinga Ethnic Group. She is considered the "last" or the oldest mambabatok (Kalinga tattoo artist). Most of the tattoos by the Kalinga people symbolize courage and the stages of being a Kalinga warrior for men, and for women, they symbolize maturity fertility, and beauty.

Art Biography

I am a Bachelor of Arts Majoring in Urban Studies and am currently in my last year of university. I mostly do art as a hobby, however, I have also participated in community-based art and one memorable experience that I had was collaborating with the city of Calgary to work on a fire hydrant project that would be displayed at a dog park.