What the Body Remembers by Kristin Bjornerud

Kristin Bjornerud, What the Body Remembers, 2021 (watercolour) — Kristin Bjornerud, *What the Body Remembers,* 2021 (watercolour)

Artist Statement

In this watercolour painting, memory is depicted in simple monochromatic scenes suspended above two dominant and juxtaposed narrative scenes. These memories are elicited by the intimacy of palm reading and the act of braiding hair. The practices of care and grooming trigger conflicting feelings of shame and desire for the women, revealing a complex relationship between pleasure and memory. The translucency of watercolour helps to portray emotions that are as elusive and confounding as memories themselves. Whether these emotions are uncomfortable, erotic or innocent, the painting expresses them in a way that is both light and unexpected.

Kristin Bjornerud is a visual artist based in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal), Québec. Her paintings examine our relationship to the natural world through the lens of magical realism and modern ecofeminism. Kristin has lived in many places across Canada and has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Ontario Arts Council and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Her work is represented in numerous public collections including the Canada Council Art Bank, the Saskatchewan Arts Board and the Bank of Montréal.