Meet the artist drawing a 'naturally unnatural' world in contrast with her war-torn childhood
The playful work of Winnipeg's Matea Radic is all about women who are at peace with their own bodies
Artist Matea Radic claims she's "not a wordsmith," so she draws instead. The women and animals in her drawings — which she often turns into GIFs — are arranged in unassuming daily activities like petting a cat or falling in a puddle. The world Radic creates is populated by women who are at peace with their own bodies, even empowered by them.
"I relate to the women in my drawings because they're all kind of awkward and goofy and just strange little people," Radic explains.
But there are other motivations behind Radic's work, too. The artist was born in Sarajevo and fled to Winnipeg with her mother when the Bosnian War began. In this video, Radic opens up her studio on the eve of her first trip back to her home town. And she explains how her good-natured art practice is perhaps informed by a childhood touched by war.
See the work of Matea Radic at Graffiti Gallery in Winnipeg this September. And find her GIFs here.
Watch Exhibitionists on Friday nights at 12:30am (1am NT) and Sundays at 3:30pm (4pm NT) on CBC Television.