Encore | Mariam Paré

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November 2018 View more

The ups and downs (and upside-downs) of mouth painting
The technique changes as a mouth-painter. [As a quadriplegic] I’m limited by my reach. If I’m working on a large composition and I can’t reach the top, I have to paint half of the picture upside down to complete it—on the larger pieces, from the forehead up I’m painting upside down. But it’s almost second nature for me now, and I actually feel like I have more control when I paint with my mouth.

Freedom of expression
I don’t really stay in one subject or style for very long, because I like to keep challenging myself. For me it’s more about the process of having fun and getting lost in it and experimenting with new ideas. It’s about not having boundaries. I see it as almost a reflection of my disability—the one place where I feel I don’t have any limitations is in my art. This is my playground.

Art = love
I hope people understand that I’m an artist, and not just an artist with a disability. I have high standards for my art. If people find my work that much more interesting when they learn how I did it—if that adds value to it—I’m happy for that. But I do want it to stand for itself, and I want people to understand how much love I put into it.

Through December 5 at Oesterle Library Gallery
North Central College
320 East School Street, Naperville
Exhibit is free; for gallery hours, visit finearts.northcentralcollege.edu
mariampare.com