Interview
Anne Cherubim
Anne Cherubim is an abstract contemporary landscape painter working in acrylic. Her art is rooted in real life images and textures, with a modern abstraction, often in a limited colour palette. An underlying thread in much of her work is the environment and stewardship of the planet. Anne’s other body of work is The Recycled Art Project, a series of limited edition digital paintings. Her art is a reflection of contemporary art as portrayed by someone who is a product of a myriad of cultures: a Canadian girl, born of Sri Lankan parents, now residing in the US. This unique 'lense' through which she sees the world informs her work, undeniably. ‘Tolerance’ is the word we use to talk about being open to, and welcoming of, one another. Anne believes ‘embrace’ is a much better word for talking about cultures, and the ways in which we can coexist. Art and music transcend language - among other barriers- and create commonalities, harmony. They are universals that can be appreciated no matter where you come from, or what language you speak. This is the type of experience Cherubim hopes that her art allows for.
Anne’s work has been displayed on billboards in Times Square, was exhibited in a castle in Italy, has been enlarged to 8 feet tall on display at BWI Airport, and been reviewed in the Washington Post. Alongside exhibiting her own work, Anne has served as juror for numerous art exhibits, and has been a teaching artist for over a decade. She is one of the founding members of the Gaithersburg Artist Collective, the current Chair of the group. Her award-winning work can be found in collections in the US, Canada, and Europe. She currently resides with her husband and children in Boyds, Maryland.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I've made art for as far back as I can remember. It was something I always just did in my free time but increasingly less frequently in young adulthood, when life got busier with more adult responsibilities. I grew up in Canada and moved to the US shortly after getting married. Because we were Canadian, I could live in the US with my husband, but was not authorized to work. I found this strange that a young and able-bodied person was not able to be gainfully employed, but these are the rules. Friends and family encouraged me to make my art, and though the thought of it was heavenly, it just didn't seem right. I felt guilty indulging in this thing that felt like a luxury at that point in my life. Eventually, I embraced the opportunity that life had handed me, and gave myself permission to make art my full-time pursuit. Once my children came along, it allowed me to be home with them, and work around their schedule, often making art late into the night.”
What inspires you?
“I am endlessly inspired by colour, and cross-sections of colour, where new unnamed colours come together. I find beauty and mystery in layers of all sorts, be it layers of colour, of texture, of meaning, of sound, of memory. I am also inspired by the natural world, and want us to be able to leave a healthy planet to our future families.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I tend to pursue themes of memory, of inter-connection, how things are connected, but also how we, as people are connected. People somehow let race, religion, & politics divide us, but truly, we are all one, and we should act like it. Building on that oneness, the underlying thread in a lot of my work is the environment, and social responsibility. What we do here today matters as much to us, as it does to those who come after us.”
“I tend to pursue themes of memory, of inter-connection, how things are connected, but also how we, as people are connected.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is a celebration of colour. Sometimes the colour is loud, and sometimes subtle. It is often layered, and I often work in limited palette which allows you to truly celebrate one or two colours at a time. Though mostly abstract, there are elements of realistic imagery, and they still have a sense of place, like landscapes do. They are worlds to be drawn into and get lost in. My work is calm, and full of movement, all at once, which can be a beautiful contradiction, and invites meditation. People often ask if I work in oil, because though done in acrylic, my paintings have the look of oils. Most people would not guess that acrylic is my medium.”
Which artists influence you most?
“It is hard to pinpoint a few, especially when you love art, and colour. If I had to choose, at the top of my list are Rothko, and Turner; somewhat of a contradiction, I know!”
What is your creative process like?
“My paintings often starts with a moment, brought on by colour. It can be the colour of the sky at that moment, or the way the light illuminates something , the way a song evokes a feeling-- an experience brings me to a colour that I want to capture, with all the sensations that come with it. Often, the starting point is that cross-plane of unnamed colour, where two other colours just met. From there a painting starts. I am not always sure of the very end result at that moment, but as I work, the painting reveals itself, and tells me where it wants to go.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I think the artist's role in society is to illuminate, and connect. Whether illuminating something positive, or negative, artists can lead a person to a thought process that may not have otherwise come about. Without that moment of openness, of surrender, that one experiences when standing before a painting that moves them, or listening to an amazing piece of music, or a similar response to a literary or performing art, we may not always have the opportunity to be transported in that way, to feel deeply, and to then feel connection. Life is so busy, and is not always conducive to feeling deeply, and with clarity, and openness. I think art provides that conduit sometimes where other things fail, if only we are open to the message. The beauty of art is that we do not have to speak a common language, or share a culture in order to feel what the art evokes. We can all connect to it. I am not sure how that role evolves. Perhaps, it remains a constant.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I've been showing my work for about 16 years, so it's hard to draw attention to just one or two exhibits. Some of the recent highlights of the past few years is Not Strictly Painting, McLean VA (2021). This was also reviewed in the Washington Post. I’ve also shown my work in This is Gaithersburg: Art as Civic Dialogue, Gaithersburg, MD; Mid-Atlantic Regional Show, Virginia Beach, VA; WTF, Ruby Projects, Fairfax, VA. My most recent solo exhibitions include From Aloft & Through The Ether, Woman’s National Democratic Club, Washington DC (2019).”
