About
Henry Melissa Gordon (she/her) is a visual artist and educator, and a proud member of the 2SLGBT+ community. Henry emigrated to Canada from South Africa as a child. Later she studied and worked in the UK for many years. Henry returned to Canada and graduated from the University of Waterloo MFA studio art program in 1999. Soon after that, she started a long journey of healing and self discovery before returning to her art practice full time five years ago. Henry worked for a dozen years as a workshop presenter and life coach at a retreat centre near Bancroft Ontario. Henry enjoys learning about peoples’ lives and perspectives. She has a deep interest in altered realities, and a love of the wilderness.
Henry lives in Milverton, ON, on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe Peoples and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This area is covered by the ‘Dish with One Spoon’ wampum agreement. Henry gratefully acknowledges the rich history, culture, and on-going land stewardship of the Indigenous Peoples of Ontario. |
Artist Statement
The experience of seeking her own healing and supporting people on their healing journeys has deeply influenced Henry’s art practice. Her work is evolving towards collaborating with others, listening to their perspectives, and incorporating these in her artwork.
Henry is also very interested in focusing her art practice on issues like Truth and Reconciliation, and environmental degradation and climate change; adding her voice to some of the central issues that define our current journey as Canadians. Other themes that overlay these focuses are interests in collective human consciousness, and our ability to explore altered realities. These are the roots of Henry’s painting aesthetic: an intuitive ‘random, but not random’ quality, layers and rhythms evolving organically, somewhat like a wilderness landscape arranges itself.
Henry’s influences include earth-based spiritual traditions, the work of C.G.Jung and other dream teachers, Early Modernism, medieval illuminated texts, Hannah Hoch, Jean Michel Basquiat, Tracey Emin, Annie Pootoogook and Jana Sterbak, amongst many others.
Henry is also very interested in focusing her art practice on issues like Truth and Reconciliation, and environmental degradation and climate change; adding her voice to some of the central issues that define our current journey as Canadians. Other themes that overlay these focuses are interests in collective human consciousness, and our ability to explore altered realities. These are the roots of Henry’s painting aesthetic: an intuitive ‘random, but not random’ quality, layers and rhythms evolving organically, somewhat like a wilderness landscape arranges itself.
Henry’s influences include earth-based spiritual traditions, the work of C.G.Jung and other dream teachers, Early Modernism, medieval illuminated texts, Hannah Hoch, Jean Michel Basquiat, Tracey Emin, Annie Pootoogook and Jana Sterbak, amongst many others.