Theresa Roberts | Safety

Aug 19

Theresa Roberts
Safety

FOCUS GALLERY
September 5 - 27
Opening Reception: September 5, 5-7pm

Theresa Roberts is deeply influenced by the natural world. She uses alcohol markers, coloured pencils, graphite pen and oil pastel. Roberts' work is very sophisticated, complex, deliberate and honest. She chooses to abstract her imagery, and changes her colour palette with the seasons. Theresa works in series, depicting other-worldly, abstract interpretations of the natural world, featuring moons, rainbows and other elements. Through layering, images are obscured, lost and re-found. Her work requires careful consideration and observation from the viewer, who must look closely to learn her art vocabulary. Each color and shape have specific meanings, symbolizing plants, animals, people and celestial bodies. Her drawings bend our understanding of time and place as they take place during night and day, throughout many seasons and over the course of many moon cycles. She envisions that her drawings will make people safer and make them want to draw rainbows too.

“Safety means for people to be safe on the streets because if a car goes really fast you could get hit. Being at home [is safe. I like it that way. Hugging is much better. Hugging and doing your painting is kind of nice to do.. Just looking at my pictures will be great when they are off the streets, that will be great. When they see my work they will be happy about it. When they come in [the gallery], they can be happy.

The circles are moons. The moons come out at night. It’s really neat to see a moon. I like to look at the moon. I think about the wolves: when the moon comes out, then the wolves come out. That's a good thing. The gold moons, [they’re] like the sun. With the sun in it. It's the sun. Nice and warm out. That’s a good thing.

It makes you feel good. I like drawing, that's good. I like to draw rainbows and flowers. I think it's important to think about that; flowers and rainbows. Going to the garden is kind of nice. Flowers make me feel really good, because you can smell them. Makes me feel good. I like all the flowers. Animals are special as well. I like what animals do.

And then, I have rainbows. I use rainbows in many drawings. What do I like about rainbows? I think they’re special. They make me feel good. I like the rainbow when it comes out. It looks really pretty. I just put the colors in. I just put them in. The blue is the sky, I would say. The light blue; that's the clouds.

When we were walking we saw the birds on the tree. The black is like the ravens. Ravens are special. You can watch them. I like birds too. Birds. When the birdies be your friends, that’s a good thing. Yes, birds are your friends. It is good to draw the birds; they’re cute, they are gray, you see. Lots of gray, yes, gray birds. Grey is the coyote. The red too, that's for the birds. Now…some red is the leaves. The pink is the clouds. Orange is the fox, I would say. And I like squirrels too, brown is the squirrel. The Green [is the] morning lights and grass and trees too.

I think art is special. I feel good about it. I'm very happy when I do art. I want to show my work to the people.”

THERESA ROBERTS

Theresa Roberts (born 1971) is an artist from Whitehorse, YT. She has been making since she was a little girl, and is deeply influenced by her observations of the natural world and its colors. She has been married into the Carcross Tagish First Nation for over 20 years. Roberts has a gentle effect and a calming influence on those around her including animals, who frequently come up to her, which she enjoys. She talks to them, names them and depicts them in her art. Roberts was the January 2024 Jenni House Artist in Residence and her work was shortlisted for the Yukon Government Permanent Art Collection in 2024 and 2025. Her art practice is based out of Teegatha’Oh Zheh Progressive Art Studio.