October 15 – November 11, 2021
“Making sense is overrated, sometimes I just say shit.” – An Instagram user
It has become a norm for so many of us to communicate through the format of memes. I imitate the basic meme format of visual and text to convey myself in a way that is familiar with a lot of people. By doing so I am personally denouncing the conventional way of looking at art and elevating—or re-elevating—the experience of looking at memes on social media to the realm of conventional art. In my work, I reveal some truths about myself in hope to evoke emotions and introspections within my viewer. At times, my drawings can seem whiny and self-centered, it’s because they are.
godam is a visual artist currently residing in Treaty 7 territory (Mohkinstsis/ Calgary). He completed a BFA in Painting and minored in Print Making at AUArts. His work is heavily informed by his experience as an emotional individual. He utilizes his own tweets and meme-like imagery as material to explore themes of desire, loneliness, and self acceptance. He views his own work as a constructive personal coping mechanism towards a simultaneous yearning and fear of intimacy.
Below are scans of godam’s drawings that are also available to view through the QR code within the exhibition.
Documentation by Chelsea Yang-Smith.
