The Pandemic Project

Claire Kujundzic

This project captures the aspects of life faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most impactful experiences in recent human history.

About the Exhibition

As one of the most impactful experiences in recent human history it was important for Two Rivers Gallery to document this experience.

In April 2020, Two Rivers Gallery invited Bill Horne & Claire Kujundzic, in Wells, BC; Cat Sivertsen in Prince George, BC; Jordan Schwab and Karla Griffin in Quesnel, BC and Catherine Blakburn, in Thornhill, BC to produce artwork that captured aspects of life faced during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Horne, Kujundzic and Sivertsen in response to the isolation of a world shut down reached out to people and communities pursuing human connection, support and collaboration. Schwab and Griffin developed a collaborative video work focused around their desire to visit parts of the world rendered inaccessible during the pandemic. Catherine Blackburn’s introspective work considered aspects of isolation and the precious companionship shared, often online, over cups of tea. While these works are born of personal experiences, each artist’s work is likely to resonate broadly with viewers. A year into the pandemic we can easily recognize a yearning for the human connection we previously took for granted, and the deep longing for the resumption of normalcy.

March: Interactive Postcard Project

Covid restrictions now make it challenging to visit my mom Ann in Victoria. She’s 91 and facing significant health challenges. I phone daily, as she’s feeling isolated and at loose ends. As all her regular outings and activities are cancelled, I propose an interactive art postcard project, with me starting them and her completing them however she likes. The first ones are my hands holding the card with ample space in between, and l continue on with watercolour backgrounds, more line drawings and cartoons for her to caption. I enjoy working on a small scale, and am getting into production, using the kitchen table as my workspace. Other friends join in as well, and now walking to the mail is a joyous daily ritual!

April: Drawing a day

Other than the postcards, l feel quite uninspired. A friend l’ve sent a postcard to in Vancouver says several women artists are beginning “A drawing a day” group, and l’m invited to join. This helps me get back into figure drawing, though I continue working small.

As trips to Quesnel are now bi-weekly, l am simultaneously enjoying sprouting and planting seeds in dozens of small containers in the kitchen/living room. The sprouted greens are beautiful, and help augment our winter diet. New drawings have people with imaginary human-like plants interspersed between them.

Journal Entry: June 23rd

The first load of wood for next winter is delivered – the earliest we’ve ever managed. This same day we have a power outage, the 4th time in three weeks. Very annoying. I’ve been having frequent vivid artwork-related dreams. No doubt this is because I’ve been struggling to work on a larger scale. I’ve been scaling the postcard size drawings larger, playing with various formats, and bought and primed several large canvases to sketch on, but can’t seem to commit…

Journal Entry: July 25th

Over the last couple of months, I’ve continued rearranging and expanding my working studio area in the gallery. There will likely be fewer gallery visitors this summer due to Covid restrictions, so l may be able to paint there this summer. Meantime I’m planning my first visit to Victoria to see my mom and keep medical appointments. Thanks to the Northern Health Bus, l can travel safely.

July: Art & studio space

I’m restless and dissatisfied, and continually rearrange the studio work area in the gallery. Using graphic design and printmaking processes l’ve been making black and white stencils, and putting them over abstract painted backgrounds to visualize completion of them. Rearranging the studio I’ve found some pieces of raw canvas from the 2009 series “Cariboo”. Cutting and fraying the canvas edges and staining them is energizing! I love the organic element this adds and carry on.

photo of Bill Horne, Amazing Space Studio & Gallery, Wells, BC Canada amazingspacestudio.com

About the Artist

Claire Kujundzic

Born in Scotland, Claire Kujundzic moved to Canada at age five. She creates a variety of imagery through printmaking, painting, sculpture and murals. Her work has been commissioned and reproduced by groups such as the International Congress of Midwives, Amnesty International and Oxfam.

More about Claire

Claire’s forest-based work was featured during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler, the 2011 conferences of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations in Spain, Hungary, and Banff, and the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, BC. Her art can be found in private and corporate collections around the world. Claire has lived with her partner and fellow artist, Bill Horne for 25 years in Wells, BC in an old church called Amazing Space. They will be based in Victoria, BC after June, 2021.