Q & A With Emerging Artists
EMILY POPE
Meet Emily Pope
Emily Pope (b. 1993, Canada) is a painter living and working in Toronto, Canada. As described by the artist’s website, “her work explores the pairing of her body with symbolic elements and settings to amplify her experiences of womanhood. Pope's paintings aim to provide clarity and coherence to the intangible experiences of the human condition, presenting an inward life of daydreams on canvas. By centering herself as the figure in her art, Pope engages in a process of self-exploration and self-expression, creating a deeply personal body of work.”
All images below belong to the artist. To see available works or to make an enquiry, please visit Pope’s website or Instagram.
Q: How did you first get started in your career as an artist? Did anyone or anything in particular inspire you? Were there any challenges you faced?
A: There was never a time in my life when I didn’t make art, but I was able to transition painting into my full-time profession in 2023. I had always seen painting as something I would do in my spare time, having never attended formal art school or known much about the industry - and, to be frank, that there even was an industry. For me, art was the natural and automatic translation and output of emotion.
Growing up and living in Toronto, the idea of the 'starving artist' is pervasive and rather insidious. I vividly recall learning from grade school to high school about artists who lived in poverty or didn't sell a painting until long after their death—an enduring 'get a real job' sentiment. Additionally, there were scarce instances of women in the field, as if it demanded a specific male genius-meets-madness archetype. So, I quietly worked on what I loved and needed to do.
After going to university for design and working in art direction and graphics in the film industry, it wasn’t until COVID that I found myself with more time to paint, teaching myself oils. I started posting on Instagram and gaining a little traction, selling prints and paintings over DMs. In November 2022, a gallery in Hong Kong, SENS, reached out to me and signed me, and I began a year of intense creating which I am carrying forward.
Q: Where do you look for inspiration? Could you tell me a little more about your artistic practice?
A: Within, I believe this is the answer for most of life’s big questions too—whether examining things at a micro or macro lens, you have to turn inward. You have the answers. The majority of my work is self-referential, and with each piece, I try to trust my gut with what works or doesn’t work, both in execution and symbolism. I find that the more I paint, the more I fine-tune this skill and build from there, and it’s something I apply outside of painting; it reinforces intuition.
In terms of my practice, the work that goes into planning a painting is the longest and least linear. I find that I start daydreaming and journaling before ever hitting a sketch pad. Once I formulate what I am trying to communicate, I’ll take a series of photos and gather objects that support my ideas and take it from there. Once I get to the canvas, it’s quite meditative, which I really enjoy. I don’t paint without a plan; I treat it like executing a manifestation. I also find it’s essential to keep a routine—wake up at the same time, eat well, exercise, take rest—it’s all a part of it. Personally, I try to spend about 10 hours in the studio Monday to Friday. If you can give yourself structure, something will take shape, as we are our habits.
Beyond myself, I am extremely inspired by the writing of Sylvia Plath, this idea that someone has expressed and felt so many of the same feelings well before me. On the same note, the first painting I saw that stirred an emotional response in me was Santiago Rusiñol’s Morphine’s Girl, there was something about the tension in the hands that I couldn’t shake - we also share our birthday which I was always touched by.
Q: What advice would you have for an artist who is just beginning their career?
A: Keep going. It’s the same advice I tell myself daily as well. If you work hard, show up for yourself, and believe in what you are doing, something is bound to happen. It’s a matter of energy.
Q: In a similar manner, do you have any advice for young or first-time art collectors or buyers?
A: Trust your gut. If an artist’s work speaks to you, you are investing in their career and ability to create more work. By investing in artists or pieces you love, you are helping to continue the conversation.
Q: What aspects of the art industry do you hope to see change or grow in the coming years?
A: The gallery scene can feel opaque; it’s not always easy to know what to do as there is no rule book, yet a plethora of etiquette. It can feel overwhelming, but we need everyone’s voices in the art world, not just those with an acute understanding of it.
Q: What have been some of the most rewarding experiences during your career as an artist?
A: I work so much in solitude, which I enjoy, but sometimes you can lose sight of the bigger picture. I recently went to London to see my work in the trio show alongside Polina Pak and Tuesday Riddell for the exhibition 'The Sudden Opening of Little Leaves' at Pictorum Gallery. It was the first time I was able to speak about my work during a Q&A and felt like my work was part of a bigger narrative outside my own life.
I also find that, as artists, we are our biggest critics, which is part of what keeps us growing. With that being said, those little moments where you get a piece to look like how you see it in your mind's eye are the most rewarding experiences. I think if those moments of satisfaction didn’t happen in the studio, it would be impossible to keep going. You have to do it for yourself, or you will end up disappointed.
Q: If you could describe the feeling you hope to evoke through your works, what would you describe it as?
A: An intertwined solitude. I hope long after I am gone, people are able to look at my paintings and feel tenderness and longing, that we are in this together, connected by some invisible string, and that if I can persevere, you can too.
