“Prudence Heward is a Canadian painter from the 1920s. Her work revolved around painting women in a way that made them powerful, often making eye contact with the viewer. Her work has been a great inspiration to me. I wanted to build upon what she had previously created with experiences of my own as a young disabled woman. I want to express how I have been objectified with these triptych portraits of my body, which illustrate parts of my disability. I want to convey the emotion I experience when talking to someone and I can tell that they do not see a person, just an illness; something to laugh at. By creating this piece of art, I took back emotions that others have pushed onto me by creating something positive to put into the world. I am not my disability; I just happen to be disabled.”

–Janie Wilson (Grade 12, Saugeen District Senior School, Port Elgin, Ontario)

Prudence Heward (1896–1947) was a central figure in the Montreal art world during the inter-war era. Celebrated for her expressionistic use of colour and her unique sculptural forms, Heward’s portraits of defiant modern women are unparalleled.