The Inverness County Centre for the Arts is pleased to present: Shared Energies: Cells,
Stars and the Fluidity Between, a collaborative residency project between New York City
based artist Fiona Chinkan and Dartmouth, NS based artist Maria Doering. Having
known each other for over 12 years, Fiona and Maria are reunited in the studio for the
first time since 2007 to work on a large format collaborative drawing project in the
spacious studio space at the I.C.C.A. between May 28th and June 4th, 2016.
The two women have collaborated through different approaches over the years, and
have exhibited work together in New Jersey and Connecticut under the show title
Retrospective on Intimacy. During their stay at the I.C.C.A., they will be continuing a
drawing collaboration that began two years ago and has continued through mailing their
drawings back and forth between New York City and Dartmouth. Maria and Fiona will be
elaborating on an artistic conversation, merging and reacting to both of their notions of
space. Fiona interprets imagery of outer space while Maria explores the inner space of
the human body. Their work juxtaposes the formation of star systems with human
cellular structures while laying in emotional complexities. Their unique styles intertwine
and merge in an unexpected explosion of energy through pen and ink on paper. The
artist duo will take this energy and push their explorations to larger scale during their
residency stay in Inverness.
During their stay they will be offering a series of workshops at the I.C.C.A. around the
idea of artist collaborations and are excited to share their experience and energy with
anyone interested. Please find details below.
Everyone is welcome to stop by the studio and say hello. The best time to see much of
the weeks progress will be during their open studio event on Friday, June 3rd, from 6-
8pm.
Fiona Chinkan is a New York City based artist. Fiona began her signature style of
drawings in 2001, as a way to accompany the graffiti lettering she was exploring at the
time. Over the years, she has developed the lines and forms as a means of expressing
herself and interpreting the world around her. She graduated Cum Laude in 2007 from
the University of Hartford Art School with a BFA with concentration in Visual
Communication Design and minors in Photography and Art History. She moved to New
York City post graduation to pursue a career in graphic design. She works as a digital art
director in the fashion industry with clients such as Coach, Kenneth Cole and Victoria’s
Secret. In her own work, Fiona has created image remixes, which combine both
photography and drawing. Most recently, she has shown in Hartford, CT as part of the
group show “PINK!” and been featured on Instagram accounts, such as @taxcollective,
@makermentors and @atomdraw.
Fiona creates out of her Brooklyn-based studio. You can see more of her work at:
www.fionac.nyc and follow her for daily drawings on instagram @fionac.nyc
Maria Doering is a German artist, living and working in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia since
2012. She left Germany with her family at the age of 15, arriving in New Jersey. She
received a BFA Summa Cum Laude from Hartford Art School in 2007, majoring in
Printmaking with a minor in Art History, then completed a MFA at Concordia University in
Montreal in 2010.
Maria’s work has been exhibited in Canadian cities including Calgary, Montréal, Kelowna
and Halifax as well as internationally in the U.S., the U.K., Denmark, Italy and Taiwan.
She has taught undergraduate printmaking courses at NSCAD University in Halifax
since 2013. She is the current president of the Nova Scotia Printmakers representing
more than 60 provincial artists.
In 2016 Maria’s print “The Old Soul” will be on display at the International Print Biennial:
2016 ROC at the Taiwan National Museum of Fine Art.
She currently works from her studio in downtown Dartmouth. A broad selection of her
work can be viewed at www.maria-doering.com
Residency event schedule
Tuesday, May 31st
Artistic Collaborations 101
(Min. 5 participants – Max 20 participants, 6-9 pm)
In this workshop, we will introduce participants to the idea of artistic collaboration, why it
is valuable and the different approaches artists can take when working together. We will
share our own methods, as well as other ways we have seen artist teams collaborate.
During the workshop participants will be paired up and challenged to work on a project
together in one of the many approaches. This will be a fun event that anyone can take
part in with or without experience. All you need to bring is your favourite “making”
materials (pencils, watercolors, yarn, etc…) and an open mind. It is a fun way to connect
with other artists or take an interesting workshop with your favourite art buddy!
Wednesday, June 1st
Sketchbook Collaborations
(Min. 5 participants – Max 20 participants, 2 – 5 pm)
One wonderful artistic collaboration method that we will discuss in our first workshop is
sketchbook sharing with another artist. In this workshop, we will dive deeper into this
approach and you will be introduced to different methods of sketchbook collaboration
and explore how this method works when artist teams live close together versus apart
long distance. Participants will be paired up to start working together in small folio
sketchbooks while expressing their own ideas and reacting to each other’s styles. This
workshop works well on your own or to sign up with your art buddy.
To reserve your spot for one or both workshops please contact the I.C.C.A. at
[email protected] and by phone at 902 – 258 – 2533
Friday June 3rd 6-8 pm
Open Studio Event
Open to the public!
During this small informal reception, we would like to ask the public to come and visit us
in the studio to see the results of our week long collaboration project in residence. We
will briefly talk about the origins of our work and what it is like to live in separate
countries while still making art together.