Gallery

Emily Looman & Elias Hildebrand

Two Artists’ Work: Sprung from Necessity

July - August, 2021

Elias and Emily are two artists living in the same household. They differ in their subject matter - at least on the surface - and they work in different artistic mediums. Whereas Elias (thirteen years old) draws digitally on his iPad, Emily works in a sketchbook using a variety of materials. The title of their show speaks to what they have in common - which is that they are driven by a sense of necessity. A necessity to make space for themselves, just as they are, and for how life feels to them. They believe this is the sort of necessity Rilke was referring to in Letters to a Young Poet, when he said, “A work of art is good if it has sprung from necessity.” Elias and Emily both engage in a sort of call-and-response as they create. The things they value rise to the surface - things like portability, adjustability, authenticity, and ease. They seek out ways to explore not only line, shape, color, and texture, but also language, narrative, and emotion. Each of Elias’s pieces represents a page in a comic book he has created. Similarly, Emily has turned a collection of her pieces into a sketchbook zine. Telling a story through their work - either loosely or directly based on real life - is important to both artists. At the end of the day, Elias and Emily both make their pages because they need to. And they share their pages with others - as vulnerable as that feels! - because connection is something that feels valuable. They want to feel welcome in the world, and they want others to feel welcome, too.