Emily Bezaire is pleased to announce the completion of Half-life, her series of eight 18″ x 13.5″ self-portraits in graphite pencil and India ink. The entire body of her work can be viewed on her website: https://www.emilybezaire.com
The aims of artist Emily Bezaire’s Half-life series were to showcase the realities facing a woman approaching the statistical halfway point in life, and explore the concept of halves in both form and content.
In keeping with this theme, she has released Half-life in halves. The first four pieces were released in 2023. The final four came out in 2024. Each piece in the Half-life series focuses on the inherent duality in a different area of life.
Emily has written blog posts about each piece, offering insight into the meanings behind the works and her creative process.
These essays can be found in the Blog section of her website.
The first blog post, Introduction to the series Half-life, offers an overview of the ideas and inspiration behind the work as a whole
Within each blog post, you’ll find the link to the Half-life playlist on YouTube!
Emily has selected a song by a female or female-led act to accompany each piece in the Half-life series.
The Half-life show will be on view at ArtSpeak Gallery in Windsor, Ontario from September 23-28, 2024.
This solo exhibition will mark the public debut of her series. It will be Emily’s most ambitious to date.
“All eight pieces are waiting for you on my website. Read the blog posts on each piece; listen to the playlist; enjoy!
Thank you everyone!” ~ Emily Bezaire
The Kingsville Times had the opportunity recently to speak with Emily about her art.
Kingsville Times:
Tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up?
Are there other artists in your family? When did you discover your artistic talent?
Emily Bezaire:
I was born in Leamington, Ontario and spent my early childhood on Selkirk Avenue with my mother, father, and older brother. My dad holds a Master’s degree in fine arts, and at that time he was exclusively painting, mounting shows in Toronto and elsewhere.
In 1992, our family moved to the United States, where Dad taught art at a college in Jackson, Mississippi and, later, one near Nashville, Tennessee. I grew up spending a lot of time around the art department at Belhaven College in Jackson, where he was the chairman for many years. As a junior in high school I audited his Design I course, and that experience set me on the path to pursuing my own professional artistic practice.
Kingsville Times:
Did you have a teacher or mentor who helped you find your artistic voice?
Emily Bezaire:
My father, Bruce Bezaire, has spent his entire career as a fine artist and art educator, so his influence has been absolutely paramount in my own artistic development. The most important thing he’s taught me, both formally and by example, is how to work. By that I mean sitting down every day and putting your all into a piece no matter your current mood or level of inspiration.
We’re both perfectionists, and though I’ve consciously chosen a different aesthetic to his own, his guidance over the years has helped me develop my fundamental approach and skills while allowing my personal vision and style to naturally evolve.
Kingsville Times:
What led you to work in your chosen media of India ink and graphite pencil?
Emily Bezaire:
When I first began my education as an artist, I completed projects in a wide variety of media: acrylic, pastel, collage, coloured pencil, and more. From early on, I always gravitated towards graphite pencil for its immediacy, intimacy, and subtlety; and India ink for its permanence, authority, and lucidity. These media have traditionally been used in graphic narrative (or comic book) art, a form that I enjoy working in and have great respect for.
I choose to specialize in pencil and ink for my fine art pieces because both are versatile, timeless, and difficult to master; as a pair they reflect how I see the world around me. Graphite pencil and India ink reward those who embrace limits as a boon to creativity: dig deep, and they will offer a limitless range of expression.
Kingsville Times:
What inspires your artwork?
Emily Bezaire:
I try to always consider both form and content when conceiving the idea for a piece. Sometimes my primary objective is formal: to push the medium in a new way or create a striking composition, as in my still lifes. I have always used self-portraiture to both document my own personal experiences and confront issues that are more universal, especially to women.
My new series Half-life is an honest look at the realities I am facing as I approach the statistical halfway point in life. In these eight self-portraits, form and content work in tandem to convey the concept of halves, from only half of my face being visible in any single aspect, to each piece focusing on the inherent duality in a different area of life.
It’s been my hope that this body of work in particular will resonate with women, and indeed, I have received such amazing feedback since launching the series on my website this spring. I look forward to engaging with people as they view these pieces in person at the Half-life show this September 23-28 at ArtSpeak Gallery in Windsor.
Kingsville Times:
We note on your website that you can be hired for commissioned work. What do clients tend to ask for?
Emily Bezaire:
Commissioned pieces have always been an important element of my artistic practice. I truly enjoy collaborating with clients to realize a shared vision and create artwork that will be passed down to future generations.
Over the course of almost two decades working professionally, I’ve been asked to draw such a wide variety of subject matter.
I depicted a client’s airplane by capturing many details in a multi-panel piece. I designed a custom coat of arms for someone after his father passed away. While living in Nashville, Tennessee, I executed many album covers for local musicians.
The most common type of commission that I receive, however, is portraits. It is always an honour to be asked to draw someone, whether it’s a parent, a child, a dear friend … I’ve even drawn beloved pets!
My website has multiple portfolio albums of commissioned work if people are interested in seeing any of the pieces I’ve mentioned.
Should anyone wish to speak with me about their own idea, I can be reached through the contact page on my website.
Kingsville Times:
What are your long-term goals for your art? Is there a big project on the horizon or something you aim to achieve for your personal satisfaction?
Emily Bezaire:
My primary focus this year is my solo exhibition, the Half-life show, on view at ArtSpeak Gallery in Windsor from September 23-28. I have so many fun ideas and elements that I’m planning for this event, and I look forward to seeing lots of people there.
Next year I’ll be entering work into competitions, including the Kingston Prize, which features portraits of Canadians, by Canadians. Long-term, I’d love to have my artwork acquired by public collections. I’m thankful to be able to work, and I have lots of ideas that I’ll be exploring in the coming years.