Vivid Reflections by Teagan Verner

Vivid Reflections is a concentration that focuses on body dysmorphia. This concentration follows the feelings of discomfort and wanting to hide away rather than the distorted reality that is often explored when dealing with art related to body dysmorphia. Not only did I want to explore the negative feelings associated with body dysmorphia, but I also wanted to include the acceptance of change and celebration of one's body that can be achieved when overcoming body dysmorphia. Vivid Reflections as an exhibition focuses on the concentration of the same name, but also brings in older and miscellaneous artworks to demonstrate my skill set.

Artist Bio : Teagan is a Manitoba-based, mixed-media realism artist with a focus on portraiture. Art became an area of interest for Teagan at the age of 12 in 2014, and she has continued to practice since. Teagan's works explore colour more than anything else, using limited pallets, bright colours, or colours one wouldn't expect to see while remaining naturalistic. Most of her concentrations focus on self-portraiture, with self-reflection being a main focus within the theme. Teagan is a mostly self-taught artist, as her only formal art training was in high school art classes and two semesters of figure drawing at Brandon University, where her learning was more so confirmation of what she already knew. Teagan completed the Advanced Placement Art program through Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in 2020, where she received a 5 out of 5 on her portfolio, earning her a university credit in grade 12.

Artist Statement: The works I create within a concentration invoke specific feelings to cause the viewer to think of the deeper meaning of the concentration as a whole. My work tends to focus on the often uncomfortable reality of self-reflection, but it does not exclude the comfortability that comes with acceptance afterwards. Some works, however, aren't meant to be thought-provoking and are intended to be studies or pieces done for fun.