When challenged with how I would occupy my space in the gallery, I wasn’t sure where to begin. I started by searching for the meaning of “occupy” and found a definition that resonated with me: “If something occupies you, or if you occupy yourself, your time, or your mind with it, you are busy doing that thing or thinking about it.”
This definition became the foundation of my exploration. I have been working hard to become healthier—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Training in boxing has become both a discipline and a metaphor for the battles I fight daily. I fight against self-doubt. I fight for resilience. I fight to redefine myself.
I am a recently separated woman learning how to stand on my own. I am a graduate student pushing myself to reach my full potential. I am a mother striving to be strong for my children. I am a grandmother who wants to keep up with my granddaughter, to run and play without losing my breath.
This work is about presence, struggle, and transformation. It is about the ways we occupy space—physically, mentally, and emotionally—and the ongoing fight to claim that space with strength and purpose.
Art Exhibitions
Occupy: MFA Group Exhibition, Jan 30, 2023 – Feb 10, 2023, Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK