We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Coda Girvan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Coda below.

Alright, Coda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

From a young age, I always expressed interest in visual and performance art. I knew by age 13 that painting was a positive influence in my life and was necessary for my existence. As someone on the autistic spectrum— communication has never been easy for me. I learned earlier on that artwork was a beneficial way to help me express my emotions.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi! My name is Coda, I am a 27 year old self-taught Queer Métis artist currently living in Edmonton, Alberta (Amiskwacîwâskahikan). My work, across all mediums, tends to focus on organic matter— mostly figurative shapes. I have been creating art my whole life but began painting with acrylics on canvas at the age of twelve. Within the past five years, my artistic style has evolved to stripping down natural elements into their most minimalistic form. Majority of my work is inspired by typeface design, and more recently much of the shapes and colours used in my work has been influenced by my family history as a Métis person. I use my art as a tool to process and as a form of healing.

As an artist on the autistic spectrum— painting is often the easiest way for me to communicate my emotions. I do, however, try to keep my work a bit ambiguous to leave room for interpretation by the viewer. I always find it interesting hearing how each person interprets my work. I love hearing them express their thoughts based on their own beliefs and experiences. Seeing how each piece brings a different understanding to a variety of people— often inspires me to look closer at new aspects of my work that I hadn’t previously recognized. I try to make my work as inclusive as possible so that everyone can feel a relation between my work and their own identity.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I feel the greatest sense of satisfaction during the process of creating something. The feeling of expressing myself with no filter is the most rewarding part and realizing we have that ability is really special.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

My biggest unlearning was with allowing myself to enjoy the artistic process and letting go of my perfectionist tendencies. I used to struggle with the idea of maintaining consistency throughout my pieces. It felt defeating if I couldn’t manage to get a line straight, or the texture to be what I originally planned. Unlearning perfectionism within my work has been beneficial with helping me find myself as an artist, and has given me the confidence in putting myself out there.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @cj.girv
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Madeline Leblanc