“This piece is inspired by Mary Pratt and her realism through the depiction of simplistic items that encompassed her daily life. Her techniques for developing her pieces were meticulously detailed as she aimed to capture light and textures. She often took numerous photographs and illustrated them, working with mediums such as oil paint. Enthralled by the simplicity and precision of her work, I illustrated an item from my daily life that signified a curation of culture. This illustration depicts a common spice used in South Asian delicacies known as cardamom. I wished to demonstrate a similar understanding of how the ordinary in one’s life is representative of their unique identity, and a visceral connection. Through this process, I was able to reflect on the physical intricacies of creating light and shadow, and trying to match the myriad of colours that a single object is composed of.”

—Nabeeha Irfan (Grade 10, Old Scona Academic, Edmonton, Alberta)

Perhaps no other motif is as recognizable in Mary Pratt’s (1935–2018) work than her jars of jelly, which have been rendered with her signature combination of precision, a mastery of light, and a careful attention to the beauty of the everyday.