First Steps 1
Grattography
2003
Copyright © 2010 Aliza Souleyeva-Alexander

Artist Statement:

This is my first work made in Winnipeg. It is a story of a woman who made her first steps on the Canadian land. The woman is encircled by an Inuit man, a Kazakh woman, and a Polar Bear. The woman slips on ice and the Inuit man supports her; the Kazakh woman mentors her; the Polar bear as an image of the Big Dipper on the sky; and a yurt as a symbol of home. The woman slips on the ice because of her instability and confusion. Why did I choose the Inuit man as a support? This is because I was fascinated with the Canadian aboriginal culture as soon as I saw it here, and this new culture was an inspiration for me to start painting - some kind of a hand of support for my confused mind. The Kazakh woman symbolizes my mother, who is a constant source of wisdom and experience for me. The Polar bear is a symbol of my husband’s name. Michael sounds like Mikhail in the Russian language and the short form of Mikhail is Meesha, which means bear. So, the bear explains why I came to Canada. Behind the figures there is the yurt as a symbol of my new home and family in Canada.