Close to Home, Ava Margueritte
Left: A close-up portrait of an older woman with light skin and short, side-swept blonde hair. She wears pink lipstick and a blue shirt. There are visible lines around her mouth and eyes, with fair eyebrows. Her face is in focus with the rest of her body slightly out of focus. The lighting is diffused and even, with no harsh shadows. Her head is turned slightly, looking toward the left edge of the frame rather than at the camera. The background consists of a body of water with a soft, level horizon which contains a deep orange and brown colouring running behind her head.
Right: A photograph of a dense patch of green moss. The composition is filled entirely with the organic, tufted textures of the moss. Scattered highlights of natural light dapple the surface of the greenery, creating a high-contrast pattern of light and shadow across the frame.
Title: Close to Home
Artist: Ava Margueritte
Date: 2025
Medium/Materials: Analog photography
Dimensions: 91.44 cm x 45.72 cm
Form/Genre: Photograph
Key Terms/Subject/Tags: Neurodivergence; Mental health; Art and identity
Artist Statement:
In her work, Ava Margueritte is drawn to subjects that examine familiarity. She looks to her surroundings to understand how this narrative shifts. This introspection helps her to understand how what was once foreign to her becomes comfortable. The redefinition of familiarity demonstrates what it means to evolve. Through imagery Margueritte strings together these varying thoughts and ideas to express her understanding of comfort and discomfort.
In her images, she looks to express the nuance of binaries, how mental health is not static. Margueritte photographs represent the fluidity of nature contrasted by the rigidity of society to represent the balance of self. People have their own natural rhythms, and sometimes the demands of societal structures are rigid and unyielding, superseding their personal needs.
Time and memory are central to Margueritte’s chosen medium. She uses a medium format camera and 120 colour film to create slow, deliberate bodies of work. Her process plays with memory and the fine line that the analogue camera walks between romanticization and documentation. She relies on memory to dictate the accuracy of the image, allowing the image to explore subjectivity rather than strict objectivity.
As an artist living with dyslexia, CAP-D, ADD, anxiety and depression, these experiences shape how Margueritte works and inform her visual narratives. Growing up in Northern Ontario while navigating her disabilities, she experienced significant internalized shame, which she has worked to unlearn. Through her work, Margueritte creates images that reflect her personal experiences while resonating with others who face similar struggles.
Cultural Context / Story Behind the Work:
Created in response to Margueritte’s experience with chronic burnout and long term mental health challenges as a neurodiverse woman.
Rights for this Image:
This digital image is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. You are free to share it for non-commercial purposes, as long as you credit the artist.
Learn More:
Instagram: @avamargueritte