April 16 – May 4
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 17, 5 – 8 pm
Artist Talks: Sunday, May 4, 2 pm
Extended hours on May 1st & May 2nd: Open to 8 pm for The ADAC Canadian Art Hop (Artists present 5:30 – 8 pm)
Through my art, where women, water, and ropes intertwine in a world brushed with shades of blue, I weave a story of connection, resilience, and the quiet power of femininity. Blue is often seen as the color of melancholy, sadness, or despair. Yet, in my artworks, I try to present a different narrative—one of depth, vitality, and emotional flow. It symbolizes the essence of water, the life force that purifies, renews, and transforms all living beings. Water’s flow generates energy, powers machinery and creates electricity. It is calm yet unstoppable, dynamic, tidal, and vast.
The inspiration for the ropes in these artworks is two-fold. On a spiritual level, they are inspired by the concept of Indra’s Net – an ancient Buddhist metaphor of an infinite web consisting of threads. Each knot is connected to a shining, crystal jewel that reflects the entirety of the web, so the tremor in one jewel causes the tremor in all of them. This idea illustrates the interconnectedness of life, where every action, thought, and relationship ripples outward, touching others in unseen ways.
On a physical level, my rope inspiration comes from working with sheets (ropes) on a sailboat. On the water, ropes serve as lifelines, securing, guiding and providing structure amid the ever-changing seas. Within my artworks, the ropes and pearls echo the delicate balance between the physical and spiritual, showing how bonds shape our lives and reveal moments of clarity, much like the jewels in Indra’s Net.
The feminine figures are the heart of this story, celebrating womanhood as the creators of life and honoring their intuition and power. In many of the pieces, their skin is rendered in blue, and just like the water, they are unstoppable, bold and vital. Through these figures, I aim to explore a presence that is both grounding and ethereal; rooted in strength, yet transcending it.
Each figure stands entwined with ropes, their braided hair merging seamlessly with the strands, weaving a story of unity and complexity. By combining the textures of ropes with the softness of flowing hair, I try to highlight the tension between freedom and attachment, how entanglement can be both comforting and challenging. The pearls they wear, or those nestled within the ropes, symbolize the wisdom gained through connection. They flash like moments of insight found amidst the challenges of relationships. This body of work explores the feeling of duality, of being secured but free, and of being part of something larger while retaining individuality.
As you engage with these artworks, I invite you to reflect on your own relationships and attachments. Consider the clarity that comes from connection. And how within life’s entanglements, in every push and pull, lies the potential for growth, understanding, and transformation.
Jelena Duma, originally from Belgrade, Serbia, is a visual artist based in both Toronto and Lisbon. With a background in mathematics, software engineering, and spiritual psychotherapy, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Jelena comes from a family of artists, curators and art historians. She studied art and music in Belgrade, holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and a diploma in Spiritual Psychotherapy. Inspired by her diverse experiences, metaphysical philosophy and minimalism, her paintings explore the connection between dreams, the subconscious, and the natural world. Much of her inspiration comes from water and the Canadian and Portuguese coastline, where the meeting of land and sea serves as a metaphor for transformation, movement, and balance.
In Jelena’s artistic practice, her analytical skills influence her creative process, allowing her to merge logic with intuition. She experiments with different mediums and materials, including clay, fabric, and ropes, as well as her paintings in acrylic and oil.
Jelena has exhibited her work in Canada, Portugal, Spain, Serbia, and the United States, with her paintings featured in private collections and galleries across North America and Europe. Her commitment to expanding awareness of the human condition and the mysteries of the subconscious continues to shape her artistic vision, inviting viewers into a world where memory, identity, and imagination intertwine.
