Jean Paul Lemieux is a famous Canadian artist characterized by his sweeping landscapes and unique, blank-faced characters. Inspired by his works, Untitled features a self-portrait painted against the backdrop of Alberta Highway 201, only a few minutes from my house. In this piece, I wanted to represent the pervasive nature of loneliness, or in Lemieux’s words, “the solitude we all have to live with.” Even a person like myself—sociable, outgoing and with many friends—will feel secluded at times. Many aspects of this work are left open ended, like its title, or lack thereof. It is meant to express the intangibility of emotional isolation. Such sentiments cannot be titled nor described. In the end, I aimed to convey that Lemieux and I sustained the same idea, though our time periods are very different. Everyone experiences solitude; it is what makes us human.

–Wanzhen Tang (Grade 11, Calgary French & International School, Calgary, Alberta)

Acclaimed painter Jean Paul Lemieux (1904–1990)—considered one of the most significant artists in the history of Canadian modernity—is known for his unembellished figurative depictions of the human condition.