Ilze Bebris, “Sampler 3,” 2020
mixed media on panel, 20” x 24”
Ilze Bebris, an artist based on the West Coast of British Columbia, earned an MFA from the University of Victoria in 2007. Her art practice centres on installations and collages made with everyday materials that thematically consider contemporary urban life and tensions between the natural and the artificial.
After long weeks of shutdown, with days repeating the same routine of studio work and a walk, along with a once-weekly shopping trip, I came to embrace our enforced solitude. Living on an island means there are places to walk, empty beaches to wander, and only a few other souls seeking solace in nature.
While an undercurrent of fear lurked at the edge of each day – fear of the unpredictable, fear for my father in a long-term care home in Ontario – there were periods of quietude. I saw hope in the emerging signs of spring. In midst the pandemic’s swirling panic, I found some calm in repetition and routine. My life was circumscribed, yet I knew what each day would hold.
And then came an early morning phone call from Ontario. My father had suffered a massive stroke during the night following recent surgery for a broken hip. He died later that morning. There was nothing I could do. I couldn’t go to him as the home was in lockdown due to an outbreak of COVID-19. There could be no funeral or memorial, just an urn waiting in the funeral home.
All I could do was what I did every day: I went into the studio. But instead of working on my ongoing projects, I started to draw. I drew and drew. I drew anything I could find with nothing special in mind. I had just joined a group of artist friends committed to improving our drawing and our daily exchange was a lifeline. Drawing became my daily focus.
I have made art for many years and for many reasons, but never with so much need, never to hold off the unbearable pain of loss. I was making art with a clear purpose, building a temporary bulwark against the waves of grief I knew would come. ■
PS: Worried you missed something? See previous Galleries West stories here or sign up for our free biweekly newsletter.
How are you feeling? How is the coronavirus crisis affecting you and your work? What about Black Lives Matter and the fight for social justice? We're inviting people in the visual arts community to share their thoughts through our House Call series. Please send up to 300 words to editor@gallerieswest.ca. If we are able to publish your account, we will contact you.