Wendy Campbell is a painter, illustrator , and shop-keeper based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Artist Statement: Having spent many years outside of Canada in places including Grand Cayman Island, Germany, and Japan, my paintings and illustrations are a fusion of my experiences with the people, art, colours, and customs of these locations as well as my adventures across Canada and my love of nature.
I have a strong interest in human connections, how we relate with each other, and our relationship with the natural world. Concepts of acceptance, inclusion, and compassion are important to me and figure prominently in my work. I attempt to achieve this in an often light-hearted, colourful, and often humorous way.
My abstract paintings belong to a series called “Chaos Theory” and refer (loosely) to the concept that all things in this world are connected – that even a very small change can result in dramatic effects over distance and time. The paintings are deconstructions of elements in nature, its wildlife, landscapes, sky and water. Colours are scattered and layered repeatedly and then heavily outlined to create a cohesive whole. Ultimately, these paintings are a kind of “meditative wish” – a wish for a humankind that reflects carefully on its choices; a humankind with a resolute awareness that even the smallest steps in a different direction, could, over time, change everything.
In November 2022, I opened a small shop called Unperfekt Studios at the historic Hamilton Farmers’ Market. The shop carries a selection of my original work and reproductions as well as work by mostly local artists and artisans.
Past Experience:
From 2012 – 2017, I was the Co-Chair of the Cambridge Arts Festival – an annual celebration of music, performance, visual arts, and community in the City of Cambridge. In 2017, I founded CAF Collective, a group of Cambridge-based artists that collaborated to create a live large-scale art installation and printmaking workshop on July 22, 2017 as part of Cambridge Arts Festival. An exhibition of our individual works were also on display in July at a pop-up gallery at 63 Dickson Street in Cambridge.
My artist CV can be found at wendycampbell.art