Back to Life 

Curator: This is Sarah Joncas's painting, "Back to Life." It's an acrylic piece, showcasing Joncas's characteristic figurative style, heavily influenced by contemporary portraiture. Editor: Wow. I'm immediately drawn to her gaze. There's something melancholic, almost a quiet plea, hidden behind those striking eyes. The butterflies give it this weird sense of, like, fragility but also hope? I can’t quite put my finger on it. Curator: The butterflies, of course, could symbolize transformation and renewal, key themes when we talk about contemporary figurative explorations of identity. Joncas often engages with this trope of metamorphosis within her paintings. And the position she holds, obscuring her face, could also relate to hiding and vulnerability. Editor: True. Maybe it’s the background… It looks almost like rain or melting ice, fading behind the figure. That plus the muted palette gives it this sense of impermanence, a gentle fading away. I find that so powerful when thinking about female experiences in contemporary spaces. There's strength, but its always evolving, transforming and sometimes, it hurts. Curator: Absolutely. Thinking through a feminist lens, one could also discuss this portrait in terms of societal expectations and constraints on the female form. She’s shielding herself but also meeting the viewers' eyes in a subtle act of resistance. A critical commentary that touches upon visibility, self-protection, and defiance, layered with delicate symbols of change. Editor: Yeah, like, are the butterflies just decoration, or are they physically manifesting her personal revolution? It reminds me of being a kid again! Making stuff up and believing it like gospel. You just WANT to believe everything will grow if you're true to yourself! But sometimes I feel its so far away and so hard to accept and do! Gosh, I hate adulthood, haha. Curator: Joncas invites the viewer to confront these multifaceted identities in a complex social arena. It’s a conversation about self-expression versus expectation, about how the body becomes a site of both agency and vulnerability. I do not know, looking through the intersectional view, I cannot help but be at peace and happy and also deeply, deeply melancholic. It really stays with you. Editor: Well, whether its transformation or vulnerability, or simply escaping into a dreamscape of her own making, "Back to Life" clearly hits us right in the feels, inviting us to see how metamorphosis and reflection can work together as strength! Thank you for helping me untangle this. I can leave in peace.