Premised on the idea that inspiration can encourage action, art has often found its roots in challenging society’s preconceptions. Some artists skillfully utilize the power of art to draw attention to the hidden issues within our culture and to initiate social debate. The Quebec-based illustrator Sandra Chevrier fully embraces the power of art, using her work to emphasize the unrealistic expectations and limitations placed by society.
The Quebec-based illustrator was born in 1983. While she has always been involved in the world of art, Chevrier can pinpoint the exact moment when she realized that she wanted to become an artist. At the age of fourteen, she saw a painting by a talented Canadian artist Heidi Taillefer titled “Detritus of Devotion”, which immediately triggered an unexpected rush of emotions, thus making the young girl realize that she also wanted to be able to make people feel such powerful feelings through her creations. Now, the works of the self-described “gaze collector, idea chaser and a full-time single mom” have been shown in Canada, as well as in United States, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
Her latest series called “Super Hero Cages” depicts beautiful women being covered in bold comic book prints. By effectively making use of mixed media, Chevrier shows women caged in society’s false expectations of beauty and perfection trying to break free from their imposed superhero roles. Mixing heavy brush strokes with haphazardly ripped pages from actual comic books, the illustrator enhances the message of unrealistic pressure placed upon women in the modern world. Dramatic and satirical, the series of paintings have obtained success worldwide.
