“Malfunctioning is inspired by Prudence Howard’s The Emigrants and aims to critique social norms and trends. When I first saw Heward’s painting, it really spoke to me because it seemed as though the person on the left was guiding the person on the right in a certain direction. I saw it in a way that the person on the right was hesitant to follow. I wanted to express the same idea of not following the status quo. The piece features multiple self-portraits, with monochromatic faces trying to dominate the central figure. The glitch and pixelated effects symbolize the sentiment of unease in not following the norm, causing a glitch in the societal system.”

–Maytal Peres (Grade 9, Herzliah High School, Montreal, Quebec)

Earning critical acclaim early in her career, Montreal artist Prudence Heward (1896–1947) developed a style and method of painting that reflected her own experiences as a modern woman navigating Canada’s shifting social landscape during the inter-war period.