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Artist Statement
I start each piece with desire—an intention—and it’s often unclear until my canvas is already smothered with paint, chalk, and charcoal. I’ll sift through old children’s books, newspapers, and catalogs, tearing out whatever triggers any thought at all. I’ll stash these scraps with past sketches, paint swatches, and cluttered materials (everything from paint to gum wrappers), and the process begins. I get lost, hypnotized by the goal of production—of creation. The images, words, and themes, which dance around my head, possess my hands with such beautiful, otherworldly passion to piece together what it is that sits behind my tongue. They simultaneously consume me and my canvas. Then one day, I’ll stand up and look back at the piece, and I’ll feel. I don’t care how I feel, it’s different every time, but I’ll know it’s done when I feel something. I aim to leave my audience with the same sense of wonder, confusion, and fascination that my work grants me, its own creator.
I’ll sign my work, and I’ll temporarily step away from my studio space, now a battlefield of chaos. You’d think from this disorderly scene that my creation caused destruction, but to me, this is artistry. I walk away with oil paint stuck to my hands and face, paint smudges on my sweaters, and fingerprints on my AirPods. I tag myself as the artist, and these stains are my story. My pieces never leave me once I walk away from them. I hope they stain you in some way or another, as well.
Bio
Ava Bialow is a 19-year-old girl from Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. As a freshman at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, studying social policy, sociology, and visual art.
Since she was a child, Ava has always been guided by curiosity and imagination. Attending Beaver Country Day School from 6th-12th grade, she first studied art during her freshman year of high school, initially fascinated by the medium of collage and themes of dreams and nostalgia. After thorough exploration of many different mediums, Ava became especially drawn to combining collage with drawing and painting to create odd and eerie portraits which engage and entice her audience. When she’s not experimenting in her studio, she’s probably listening to her favorite albums on vinyl, hanging out with friends, or reading a good book.
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