An edgeland is the liminal space between a developed and an undeveloped landscape. This painting was inspired by a solo camping trip I took one October; on the second night there was an unexpected drop in temperature, and I became hypothermic, but managed to warm myself by staying up most of the night next to the fire. The feeling of losing control of my breathing due to the natural conditions I was in was terrifying, but ultimately it was a transcendent experience. Sleeping on the ground and feeling my body’s reaction to freezing earth made me feel incredibly close to nature in a way that I wouldn’t want to repeat. I ended up hiking the next morning to the top of a cliff overlooking McCrea Lake in Ontario where I took photos that would be the source images for this painting. The edgeland to me is the space between comfort, and the desire to seek out danger. The bare legs are symbolic of my intense feeling of connectedness and fragility in nature, and the hare, a favorite recurring image of mine, represents duality. The hare has always fascinated me because of its representation of the ultimate prey, and at the same time it embodies magical resilience. The hare lives above and underground, represented in both the painting’s vertical and horizontal splits.

Laura Thipphawong

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I am a Canadian-Laotian artist, writer, and historian, and have exhibited art and presented my research throughout several galleries and international academic forums. After moving from a small town in northern Ontario to Toronto to pursue a career in the arts, I began showing in group and solo exhibits in Toronto galleries before receiving a medal and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Critical studies from OCAD University, and a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of Toronto. My studio practice in oil painting and drawing is representative of my research on the complex narrative symbolism of the psyche in response to various social factors, with focus on sexuality, horror, folklore, and natural science.   My work has been exhibited and featured in various reputable galleries and publications, such as CBC Arts, New Visionary Magazine, the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite in Toronto, and the National Gallery of Canada.