In the Pet Shop window
This summer, the Pet Shop expo pays tribute to the beloved pet. In spring, we launched an open call for animal portraits. All the submitted works now form this marvelous exhibition at the 'Oud Huis' of Kunsthal Gent. From paintings and etchings to textiles, in all possible formats and styles. In this interview series, participants Agathe Dananaï, Suzanne Corcessin & Hanna Ilczyszyn share the story behind their work.
Hanna Ilczyszyn - Boy with a cat
'Animals are a recurring subject in my work, especially cats. But also dogs, deers, birds… I paint portraits and I often combine them with either an animal or plants, as we are all connected with each other.
Since I was a small kid I was fascinated by cats and it would be my favorite animal. I love how contrasting they can be: very elegant and sloppy, very cute and with a serious look. Independent and cuddly. It's nice to observe them.'
'The work I'm presenting during Pet Shop is a ceramic piece: carved, painted and glazed ceramic plate. I had several cats throughout my life and I always call them Cicius (for a male) and Cicia (for a female). It's a cute abbreviation in Polish from Kicius, which means Kitty. The cat I have now is obviously Cicia. She was abandoned and I've found her in Brussels behind the building I used to live in. She's quite quirky: she can only jump on a couch or bed from one side and if there are too many blankets she cannot pass and needs to go around.'
Suzanne Corcessin - Cockatiel I, Cockatiel II
'Animals, especially bird feathers, are recurring in my work as I often use the found, given, collected, and scavenged ones. Based on their context, the work is telling a story of a past life. Behind the feathers of the two textile pieces presented in “Pet Shop” the memory of the cockatiel lies.
As a souvenir, the cockatiel was the pet of a close friend. She found it dead one morning in her garden. Knowing that I was practicing feathering, she gave it to me to use the feathers. It was the first time I plucked a dead bird on my own. All emotions went through me when I did it. I couldn’t bring myself to remove all the feathers from the tiny corpse I was holding in my hand.
They have left their body, still, full of their past life, the blood no longer feeds them. A ceremony has been done to burry the corpse. After a month under the soil, feathers would have vanished. The two pieces you see will eventually perish as well. Only just a bit longer, I wanted to honor the cockatiel.'
Agathe Dananaï - Dog watching dog on tv - Part 1 & 2
'Animals are a recurring subject in my drawings. Especially dogs because I think we project on them multiple things, as much as we want them to say something about us depending on what sort they are. From cute fluffy ones to big scary ones, they completely change the topic of what is represented in the image. I like to balance between the goofiness of a dog wearing a pair of sunglasses to the tension brought by a dog with teeth that could kill. You can also find in my work various animal references such as horses on a teenage bedroom's posters, or Sabrina's cat Salem or Britney's Spears' robot dog.'
'Bobby isn't actually my dog but was my mom's. I remember my nan having a painting of him hanging in the living room and it was like being in the presence of a late family member everytime we visited her. Working a lot with my own or found archives, it just made sense to me to consider Bobby as a part of my history that I can appropriate through art. Collecting online photos of other people, here dogs watching dogs on television, allows me to compose, create and share my own chosen mythology.'
I'm using ink pens and promarkers that are alcohol based, enabling the colors to blend into one another. The frame is made with clay, painted and varnished. Fun fact: apparently Bobby used to be a slaying drag queen wearing my mom's dolls clothes.
I'd also like to dedicate this exhibition to Martin, my dear friend Michel's cat who recently passed away from a sudden pulmonary oedema. Martin, you were loved.'
PRACTICAL
Where? Kunsthal Gent, Lange Steenstraat 14
When? July 19 to August 25 2024
every weekend from 11 AM to 6 PM
and every day during the Gentse Feesten (July 19 to 28)
Free admission
More info about getting to Kunsthal Gent
