About
Cynthia van Frank is a Montreal-based artist whose primary focus lies in painting, clay, and oil pastel. Van Frank's artistic process is a fusion of observation, emotion, and memory. She draws inspiration from personal experiences and poignant moments. With a keen eye for detail and an intimate connection to her subjects, van Frank has created various series throughout her career.
In her early work, she portrayed vignettes of herself lying in different trail areas while hiking, offering a glimpse into her personal encounters with nature. She also crafted whimsical clay figurative pieces, drawing inspiration from her own life experiences. Van Frank's artistry then shifted to interior scenes, depicting the rooms of her once-beloved forever home, which circumstances forced her to leave. Her attention turned to architectural sites in the new industrial area she relocated to, as well as the urban forest she explored during the pandemic. Currently, van Frank is immersed in a poignant series centered around her 91-year-old mother's life as she grapples with dementia, while the artist confronts her own mortality. Through her paintings, she becomes the memory keeper, shedding light on the fragility of memory and the profound stories embedded within the objects that surround us. Each stroke of her brush infuses the artwork with memory and emotion, resulting in what she aptly terms "emotional realism."
Van Frank uses reference photographs that capture either her personal experiences or trigger emotional responses. As she engages in the process of painting, she discovered that the act of closely observing an object or her mother's skin becomes a means to preserve its memory. Her style adapts to the specific theme she explores, while every stroke becomes a meditative act. Curiosity and playfulness infuse her work, evident in the minor morning adjustments she makes to errors intentionally left from previous painting sessions, giving purpose to her artistic journey.
Themes of memory, loss, family, home, and nature form the core of van Frank's artistic repertoire. As a second-generation Holocaust survivor, she offers a unique perspective on the impact of trauma across generations. Her profound ability to capture complex emotions and experiences through a deeply personal lens garnered attention, leading to the focus of the documentary film, Let the Second Generation Rise.
Educationally, van Frank holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with distinction in Fine Arts, as well as an Honours degree in Art Education from Concordia University. She further pursued her studies at the New York Studio School. Van Frank's artwork has been exhibited in the USA and France, and her pieces have found homes in the Prêt oeuvres d’art du Musée national de Beaux-Arts du Quebec and private collections. Her work resonates deeply with viewers, inviting them to engage with the human experience on a personal and emotional level.
