Surroundings, Ava Margueritte
Left: A portrait of a man with light skin, medium-length dark hair with grey at the base, and facial hair. He wears a white shirt underneath a black shirt and is seated in a relaxed but upright pose, turned slightly away from the camera. He looks off to the left, away from the lens. He is in sharp focus against a slightly softer background of desaturated teal-coloured water. In the top right corner, a dark tree is reflected in the water's surface.
Right: Depiction of golden sunlight filtering through trees, creating a distinct, almost triangular shape of light. Light dominates the frame, with an orange-yellow glow and deep brown tones. There is visible interference from a screen not physically present in the shot. Behind the light, scattered leaves are visible, and the trunk of a tree is silhouetted and out of focus. A few individual leaves are illuminated by the sun's rays.
Title: Surroundings
Artist: Ava Margueritte
Date: 2025
Medium/Materials: Analog photography
Dimensions: 91.44 cm x 45.72 cm
Form/Genre: Photograph
Key Terms/Subject/Tags: Neurodivergent; 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