These anthropomorphic fish are making a (figurative) journey from Bolivia to Whitehorse
'You're never fully one thing and you're not fully another thing'
When she was 12, Pilar Mehlis' family moved from La Paz, Bolvia to Whitehorse. Mehlis says people ask her, "What's your accent?" or "Pilar...what kind of name is that?"
"I guess I am Canadian, but you're kind of this traveler, right? You're never fully one thing and you're not fully another thing."
"Fish and salmon are emblematic of migration and immigration," Mehlis continues. Her anthropomorphic fish sculptures tackle this feeling of being between worlds, and their human legs are inspired by the Carnaval costume culture she grew up with in Bolivia.
"They're costumes and you can see the human legs beneath because I grew up in a place where Carnaval is a very, very big deal, and everybody's costumes went from mid-thigh up so you could always see the legs but you couldn't see who was inside."
Art Minute is a CBC Arts series taking you inside the minds of Canadian artists to hear what makes them tick and the ideas behind their work.