Cara Gwizd is a self-taught graphite artist who uses primarily, medium to large sized pieces to portray the sacredness and beauty of the many transformations women undergo within their lifetime. It is the very appreciation of these specific rites of passage that are vital in changing societal narratives surrounding the lives of girls and women.
Her subjects are often those she both knows and loves as a means of visual storytelling. Her creative process often begins with simply listening to those that surround her or spending some time alone with her own thoughts. Once she begins to envision a piece into existence, a large portion of her time is spent digging deeper into historical records and customs that tie into the personal experiences she wishes to represent while tying in elements of her experiences as a Polish-Canadian, as well as subtle hints of the Irish, French Canadian, and Algonquin heritage that exists within her matrilineal lineage.
Her use of bold, expressive dark values in the background and the smaller details of her work balances the softer tones of her photorealistic approach to figurative drawing. This is effective in ensuring that detail of her pieces do not inhibit the viewer from the emotional focal point of each piece.
Cara draws upon her personal experiences in traditional and modern midwifery, motherhood and life to express the reality women innately yearn for as opposed to the isolation they often experience.
It is her hope that her work will inspire others to listen intently to their own emotions and internal dialogues; uncovering the cellular memory or epigenetic imprints that have shaped society’s perception of a woman’s value, contribution to and role within society.
Cara Gwizd resides and works in Ontario, Canada. Her fluency in graphite is the result of hours spent with a pencil in her hand. Graphite, which is her strongest medium has become the means through which she portrays her view of the world; communicating the messages embedded within her heart. Instead of receiving formal art training Cara chose to abandon her love and dedication to the art of stained glass to live and travel in Central America. It is here that she was most inspired while learning the language and the culture.
After completing her midwifery training and working as a skilled out-of-hospital midwife, Cara opted to complete her undergraduate studies at Queen's University in Health Sciences and Psychology given her desire to expand her scope of practice. Despite beginning her studies as a naturopathic medical student at The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Cara has deferred her studies in order to attain her Masters of Health Sciences Degree at Western University.
Her work reflects her journey as a woman as well as both the simplicity and complexity of motherhood, pregnancy, birth and loss. Such transformative passages have been enriched through her doula and midwifery work. Cara's work has been exhibited in galleries within Canada and the United States. Cara also spends her time illustrating for various publications. She is the mother to four children whom she raises alongside her incredible partner.
Cara Accepts Commissions that fit both her current direction and theme of work. Commissions can be directed at caragwizd@outlook.com