113Research

  beginning, breaking, & becoming … presents, as corresponding photographs and paintings, work which demonstrates Ashlynn Doljac’s inquiries as artist and researcher into intergenerational trauma. In taking on this deeply reflective practice, she also reveals her personal journey to recovery. Like a pendulum, the viewer’s eyes swing from looking at startling black and white, almost abstract images that sear the pictorial ground to brightly coloured, intentionally naively rendered paintings that depict joy, love, and familial harmony. In the spaces between, places are opened for the viewer to discover potential stories of recovery. Image:  Ashlynn Doljac   From the Ashes,  Acrylic & gouache on canvas.  A human face, with starkly defined nose and lips, emerges alongside expansive phoenix-like wings through drifting smoke and ash. The composition blends dark, heavy textures with warm, glowing tones, evoking a sense of release, transformation, and renew...