CAGES

’’a dance between power and fragility, freedom and captivity, the poison and the cure.’’

Sandra Chevrier is a canadian contemporary / pop urban artist, known for her captivating portraits of women from The Cages series. Born in 1983, Chevrier got her Bachelor’s degree in visual and media arts from UQAM – L’Université du Québec à Montréal. As a self-taught artist, Sandra Chevrier first fell in love with art as a kid, to her; Art rapidly became a language on its own. Sandra likes to describe her work as a dichotomy; a dance between power and fragility, freedom and captivity, the poison and the cure. Her work is exhibited internationally and her artworks are now in the collections of art collectors all over the world.

Sandra produces work ranging over vastly fluctuating emotional enigmas and concepts that have set the standard of our modern communication, exposing the limitations of our world; our self-imposed expectations and the cages we have allowed to bar us from the fullness of life’s experience. With work demanding to be dissected beyond its surface value, Chevrier's portraits are quite literally torn between the fantastical heroics and iconography of comic books and the harsher underlying tragedy of oppressed female identity and the exposed superficial illusion it conveys.

In addition to exhibiting a male-dominated world within her 'Cages', Chevrier's subjects denounce the role given to the female counterpart therein, refusing to play the part of seducer or victim. In the greater body of Chevrier's work, the images used within the 'cages' range from scenes of conflict, triumph and defeat. They also represent the social limitations, which corrupt what truly is beautiful and lock women into prisons of highly-codified and narrow identities. By doing so, they are asked to become nothing short of superheroines.  Sandra paints masterfully detailed portraiture, making her women seemingly emerge from a surreal world, onto the canvas, wherein a dance is performed between reality and imagination, truth and deception.The artist chooses to highlight the fragility of the superhero, their struggles and weaknesses, and exposes the humanity within the superhuman. Despite all the playfulness of the thing itself and all the “CRASH BAM POW,” superheroes are also fragile. We are merely human men and women, and we are entitled to our flaws and errors.

1.       Something you mentioned about this latest series of works is that the cages are almost completely burned away, giving the figures a renewed sense of freedom. Can you expand more on this idea and the evolution of liberation throughout this series? 

What distinguishes this new body of work from previous ones is the emphasis on the transformative power of liberation. There is a noticeable shift in the narrative, focusing not only on the struggle within the cage but also on the triumph of liberation. I have captured a unique moment of action and stillness within the frames of liberation. The movements and fiery energy of the explosions are frozen in time, creating a dynamic tension and anticipation. While the chaos of the explosions persists, the portraits remain poised and composed, on the verge of their final step towards freedom. In these latest artworks, I explore how much people want to be completely free but also how we are limited by our bodies and the world around us. We all want to make our own choices without anyone telling us what to do. This idea of total freedom is like a big goal that we can't quite reach. Even when people try to be free from rules and limits, they are still held back by their bodies and how they think. Our bodies have their own limits that we can't escape. While we can move around and do things on our own, we are still tied to how our bodies work.My art shows the struggle between wanting to be totally free and being held back by our bodies and minds. Our thoughts and understanding of the world are shaped by outside influences and our own experiences.Through my art, I want people to think about how we balance wanting to be free with the realities of our bodies and minds. My artworks tell a story of how we always strive for freedom, even though we are constantly faced with limits and restrictions in our lives.

 2.       Has anything happened in your own life that made you feel freer than before?

In my life, there have been moments when I've felt freer than ever before. These times often involve overcoming personal challenges, letting go of self-imposed limits, and being true to myself or maybe just getting older. Whether through art, self-discovery, or personal growth, these moments of feeling freer have boosted my self-awareness and confidence. They have influenced my art and inspired me to explore freedom and independence. However, the feeling of breaking free can be fleeting. There are moments of introspection and good days where the sense of freedom feels within reach, only to be weighed down by the heaviness of the world we inhabit, learned habits, perceptions, limitations, and expectations. The doors of the cells can open but also close abruptly. The question arises: Is true freedom attainable?

 Navigating the desire to set a good example for my son and working on a series called "Cages" that delves into the concept of freedom while also feeling trapped myself can be a challenging emotional journey.

3.       Something I’m wondering about the burning “masks”: In this narrative of freedom, do you see the women being the ones who set fire to the mask, or something beyond them? I guess I’m wondering how much agency these women have in their own liberation?

In the  ‘’storyline’’ of my work the women represent power and strength in freeing themselves. Burning the masks is a deliberate choice to break away from what society expects and from things that hold them back. Im trying to depict women that shows independence and have control over their lives, taking charge of their stories and reclaiming who they are with their strength and flaws. While outside influences can shape our lives, women are seen as active forces for change, showing their power in working towards freedom. Burning the masks, the Cages is a strong way for them to free themselves and feel empowered, highlighting their independence and strength in creating their own paths to freedom. For me, burning the “Cages” is a personal symbol, akin to the historical significance of "burning the bras." Just as the act of burning bras symbolized women's liberation and defiance of traditional gender roles in the past, we’ve come a long way since then, burning the "Cages" represents my own rebellion against confinement and limitations, asserting my freedom and autonomy in my artistic expression.

4. Follow Up: I was curious because, since you started the series many years ago, different types of legislation and laws have been passed restricting women’s freedom, and really, everyone’s freedom. And so, I wonder about your perspective on the role of the individual attempting to break free and the constraints and challenges society imposes on them that are out of their control.

Unfortunately we always will deal with challenges from society like laws that will limit our freedom, especially for women, even if we take two steps further it seems like we are always brought one step back. But now more than ever we find that our voice matters and that collectives but also individuals can make a difference by speaking up against unfair rules, supporting equality, and fighting for human rights. By working together to change these laws and promote freedom for everyone, vote, speak our minds…we can create a more fair and inclusive society. It takes courage, unity, and a belief in justice and equality to make a positive impact. It is a constant fight and it is sad to see to the ones who wants to impose these constraints are also humans.

5. How do you find your own power?

Discovering my own power is a journey of learning about myself and feeling strong. It involves being true to myself, knowing who I am, and being able to bounce back from tough times. My personal power comes from knowing my strengths, what matters to me, and what I love doing. This helps me face challenges, get past obstacles, and go after my dreams with belief and determination. By tapping into my inner strength, creativity, and confidence, I can use my personal power to make a difference, grow, and bring positivity to my life and the world. I find my strength in being a good mom, following my passions, enjoying life, and making the most of the great opportunities I have.

6.       You also mentioned that you’ve been exploring some new techniques lately. Without letting us in on your secrets, can you tell us what you’ve been experimenting with? What have you learned from those experiments?

I have always enjoyed exploring this series in different ways using various materials and techniques. The concept of the mask has been a part of my drawings since my teenage years, leading to a continuous evolution and exploration. But I have to admit that in the past years I was forced to work on different techniques because my arm got hurt. I developed tendinitis after working too much on an easel. This challenge pushed me to find new ways to express myself and adapt my creative process. While I have a passion for using inks and watercolors, where I can control the outcome to a certain extent but also embrace the unpredictability of water, I have now started experimenting with different types of paper. I have discovered that using various papers, particularly rice paper, adds depth and a unique personality to my work. I fell in love with the delicacy and beautiful imperfections of rice paper, which I showcased for the first time last year at the Art Paper Fair with Harman Projects in NYC. On another note, the ongoing exploration of my evolving series ‘’Cages’’ has sparked my interest in playing with textures and relief. I am even considering incorporating a sculptural or 3D element into the masks in my art which I also explored a bit in the past. I am excited to experiment more in the coming years and hope to achieve interesting results!

Moving forward, I will continue to explore the theme of liberation through this series by experimenting with new techniques, visual metaphors, symbolic imagery, and expressive narratives. I will also continue to play with dichotomies, as I have come to understand that nothing is purely good or bad; there exists a spectrum in everything. These dichotomies add depth and contrast to my artistic exploration. My aim is to make the viewer feel understood and seen, recognizing that we all inhabit human bodies and minds on a planet where Light and Darkness, Love and Loss, Hope and Despair, and Dreams and Reality are intertwined as both friends and foes.

 7.       Follow Up: I remember you saying in an interview that you often find it challenging to let go when you’re making work; starting this series marked a turning point in how you made work and what constraints you imposed on yourself. Considering how detailed the portraits of these women are, how do you balance control and chaos in your practice? Do you make room for both?

Creating detailed artworks with precise control helps me relax and find peace in my mind. It's like a form of meditation that keeps me balanced and calm. The meticulous attention to detail in my portraits and the countless hours in front of the easel enables me to focus and immerse myself in the work, offering a form of therapy .  In this exhibition, you'll see portraits that are very detailed and controlled, but I also show sketches that are more spontaneous and free.

In each exhibition I work on, there is a noticeable variety. For example, in the 2021 Oslo exhibition titled "Cages and the Unbearable Gift of Freedom," I showcased a mix of raw, textured, and dynamic pieces in black and white using pastels and inks and graphite  alongside refined and detailed canvases. This contrast between the polished portraits and the more expressive works allowed me to experiment with different techniques, such as using various papers, inks, and watercolors. By combining highly controlled pieces with more spontaneous creations, I keep my creativity in balance.

8.       I want to point out that this newest series of works in the “Cages” series are all painted. This isn’t the first time you’ve done this. In a 2016 interview, you remarked that the mixed media approach you use—blending actual comic book strips with your paintings—is guided by instinct whereas the pieces that are fully painted are more calculated as you control the story. Is this still true for you? Has your approach to inventing narratives in the comic book panels changed over the years?

Before I start painting , I still have to use the comic book strips themselves to create the reference image. Over the years I've changed my process. Instead of directly working on the canvas with the comic book strips, I now collaborate with real models who come to my studio. I intuitively but still in trying to follow a storyline, create masks for them with torn comic book stripes that are directly applied to the models' faces. We then have a photoshoot to capture these unique creations, I love playing with light and shadowns, various lightbulb colours and guiding the models to work on different face expressions or emotions. Afterward, I use the photos as references and may use Photoshop to further deconstruct the images, as you can see in this exhibition. This new approach involves much more time, preparation, and additional steps to reach the final artwork but to me feels more authentic or true to what I want to create.

9.       I’m also wondering about the titles of the works in this series. Reading them in sequence almost feels like a poem (excuse my translations if they aren’t spot on!). 

‘‘I did not sell my soul to the devil ‘‘

‘‘on the edge of silence’’

‘‘under the jeers of angels’’

  How do you title your pieces? What’s behind these poetic names?

 
The titles of the works in the series are crafted with intention and poetic resonance, my work demanding to be dissected beyond its surface value I think these titles adds another layer of depth and meaning to the artworks. Just like sometimes on certain pieces you’ll find a chosen comic book torn quote at the bottom of a piece that serves as a guide to the viewer.  Each title is carefully selected to evoke emotion, provoke thought, and provide a glimpse into the narrative and themes explored in the piece. Also writing the titles in French is a nod to the fact that I am French Canadian and that I pay tribute to my first language. I draw inspiration from various sources; my sketchbook is filled with hundreds of titles, some of which are words that come to mind, lyrics from a song, or quotes from a book.

10.   There is also a small series of black and white pieces in the exhibition. There’s something much more intimate about them as they don’t have the punching, declarative color the larger world do. Are these small pieces a part of your painting process? Or are they stand alone works?

I call these ‘’sketches’’; they are more detailed than what you would typically find in my sketchbooks. But when time allows, I enjoy experimenting with an image in various ways before reaching the final "canvas" stage.

11.    Finally, the exhibition is titled Birds on Cages. Can you say more about the title of this exhibition?

Its a title I had in mind for a long time and I’ve recently created a logo with just a bird perched on the top of a cage.

During my college days, I came across the work of photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. I have always detested the sight of birds in cages, robbed of their ability to fly, rendering their wings useless. Inspired by a portrait he did ‘’Portrait of Henri Matisse (Vence,France)’’ where you see a man siting on a chair in a small room surrounded by empty cages and Birds perched on top of them. Seeing the birds now resting on the roof of a cage symbolizes ultimate freedom. I created a logo for my company, which aligns well with the dichotomy of my work and inspired me for the title of this particular exhibition. In this latest series, the "cages" dissolve, explode, and burn with intensity, leaving behind remnants that symbolize the turbulent journey of breaking free from confinement. While traces of the masks remain visible, there is a sense of renewal and freedom rather than suffocation. The artworks exude a palpable sense of satisfaction, exhilaration, and power, akin to a bird soaring above its former cage, unshackled from restraint.