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I paint to remember. In Colours of Nostalgia, I reflect on my South African roots. My work resembles genre paintings, but the people are removed just like immigration removed me from my people. I start my process by choosing an event or interaction captured in a family photograph. I then edit out the people. As a result, the recurrent objects and spaces in these cherished moments become the subjects, standing in as markers of moments shared with loved ones. Colour is an important mechanism that reveals and relates the emotions of my memories. Sometimes, a colour captured in the photograph inspires the colour palette, but often, the colours I choose convey the mood. Though the memories are particular, my work prompts viewers to remember their past experiences, which creates a connection and a sense of belonging.

Grete Drummond is a BFA Honours student at the University of Manitoba. During her studies, her work has been showcased in multiple exhibitions. She was born in Pretoria, South Africa and moved to Winnipeg, Canada, with her family at the age of thirteen.

I grew up in a family that appreciates and values art and has encouraged us to express ourselves creatively. As an artist, I enjoy working in multiple mediums and believe that each medium has its unique charm and utility. I express my imagination and thoughts through drawing. Silkscreening was a natural extension of this habit and has become an unexpected love. With Ceramics, I fulfill my need to make something that is both functional and beautiful. But my preferred medium has always been painting.  My work is realistic but painterly and revolves around memory, place, family, identity, and nostalgia. I explore these themes by creating still lifes, landscapes and portraits painted in carefully selected colour palettes. As an immigrant, I am always in between belonging and longing and the colours reveal and relate the moods and emotions of my memories.