Carly Neigum’s latest exhibition is about getting under the skin of things, literally and figuratively.
Over the past year the Nanaimo artist has been in therapy to help process past childhood trauma as an adult for the first time. She has also been turning to her art to cope with and express what she’s been going through.
“It’s a great way to get out the dark feelings I have, she said. “Or if I come home, have had a hard day, going to art and expressing it is, I find, a very healthy and therapeutic way of dealing with some of the emotions and feelings that I have.”
In her new show, Anatome, coming to the Nanaimo Bar from Oct. 19 to 21, Neigum is presenting more than a dozen paintings and drawings as well as a sculptural work depicting hearts and brains and skeletal imagery. She said the show is all about looking at one’s inner issues, and coming from such a personal place, it can be hard to share those feelings with others.
“It’s super vulnerable, but that’s kind of my goal is to make people feel a bit, put them in a little bit of an uncomfortable state with my art,” she said.
“Because I think feeling uncomfortable and feeling a little gross and feeling like your skin’s crawling a bit … the unfavourite feelings, I don’t think people credit them as much as they should. I think they deserve as much time and energy as joy and love and kindness.”
Neigum has invited some musical friends to perform during the first two nights of the exhibition. Vocalist and trumpeter Amelia and Courtenay DJ Sukha Sound will perform at Friday’s opening and Ben Zyakin and the band Country Mouse will entertain on Saturday night.
Neigum said the musicians complement the visual art.
“Amelia’s voice is just absolutely stunning and she came to see my work to make a sound that suits it and I know she’s a lady who knows how to express herself as well, so I feel like she’s going to rock it,” Neigum said.
“Sukha Sound is a good friend of mine, too, and as much as this is a dark theme, I also want it to be a party because it’s an exhibition and I’m proud of my work. And then Saturday night Ben Zyakin is also part of Country Mouse and they’ve just got such a sad but yet storytelling sound to them and I think they’ll really suit the theme.”
Neigum said she’d like her work to make people feel comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.
“My hope is that people realize it’s OK to open up about their unfavourite feelings, the awkward ones that are hard to talk about,” she said. “That maybe in some way they can find a venue to express it or deal with it or share it with people.”
WHAT’S ON … Carly Neigum presents Anatome at the Nanaimo Bar from Oct. 19 to 21 starting at 5 p.m. Bands start at 9:30.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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