Discovery

Into the Land of Blood Red Tears

October 2021
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A exploration of my family arriving in Canada

It was necessary for me to paint memories of my family arriving in Canada as a very young girl. I have many memories although some are obscured.

I remember the ship crossing the Atlantic, the Carinthea of the Kunard Line carried our small fragile family away from the United Kingdom to a land called Canada that promised a better future for families.

It did not go as planned. My dear young parents were subject to the “cultural revolution” of the 60’s and were very much alone in their new life in Canada.

Within less than 2 years our family disintegrated and my sister and I were in a place with a family we knew nothing about, foster care with “Jewels for Jesus”.

Read more from Erika Koenig-Workman

My inspiration to create visual art comes from my Roman Catholic Traditional Faith, family, nature, community, and current contemporary subjects.

I value experimentation in my creative process. I engage with materials that ignite my imagination. Visions, dreams and contemplation play a strong role in my innovative approach.

I collaborate with artists, I enjoy working with ideas on public art projects that positively effect people and communities.

Additionally, I use typography and graphic design elements in my work.

I believe words are alive—imbued with thousands of years of meaning.

Letters express their own kind of symbology and speak to every person uniquely.

In my creating I endeavor to make the invisible visible.

Erika Koenig-Workman

Richmond, British Columbia

Into the Land of Blood Red Tears