Healing Through Art
A Message of Peace and Empowerment: Artist’s Local Exhibition Encourages Healing Through Art
May 7, 2022 at 8:47 p.m.
A Message of Peace and Empowerment: Artist’s Local Exhibition
Encourages Healing Through Art
By; Jeff Gambrell
HAMILTON - The Strauss Gallery in Hamilton’s Downtown corridor is known for hosting exhibitions covering an array of diverse subject matters and mediums. Whether the focus is painting or live music, sculpture or film premiere, artists of all walks of life can rest assured knowing there is a place for them at Artspace. Often, artists find inspiration for their works stemming from personal experiences or past struggles.
A recent exhibition titled “Walking on Eggshells” drew the community in to not only observe and enjoy the featured artist’s collection but to learn from the pain she had endured and how she managed to find a sense of peace and empowerment through it all. Cincinnati-based artist and founder of Wisdom Tree, Diana Cendales, had found herself in a difficult and low point of her life, stuck feeling constricted by a harmful relationship.
In order to begin her process of healing, she decided to travel throughout South America, and it was there that Cendales found her love of nature. Drawn from her own doubts about how much recycled products actually gets broken down and made into something new, Cendales began repurposing materials into artwork and jewelry.
Specializing in coffee beans, melon seeds, orange rinds, and more, she has been able to reinvent ordinary, everyday items many would view as waste into beautiful pieces for many to treasure.
Her current exhibit “Walking on Eggshells” includes a collection of art primarily composed of eggshells with poured resin media. The process that led her to create this collection is directly derived from her own struggle with finding peace.
“Every day became a challenge that felt like walking on eggshells”, recalled Cendales.
“I was emotionally hurt at the time and to be able to pick up the pieces and put something together helped”. Included in the exhibit is an interactive path composed of hundreds of eggshells in which visitors are encouraged to walk across.
During the Friday evening ceremony, Wendy Waters-Connell, Executive Director of the YWCA, addressed those gathered in the gallery providing a word of encouragement and a call to action. Noting the high rate of women (especially indigenous women) likely to experience trafficking and sexual assault, Waters-Connell commended Cendales for her courage in sharing her story. “It is through her (Cendales) testimony that others will come forward and say ‘I need help’”, stated Waters-Connell. “We can make a better world together, but it is going to take all of us”.
“Walking on Eggshells” will remain on display through May 28th at the Strauss Gallery located at 222 High Street. Regular gallery hours are Thursdays 11-7, Fridays and Saturdays 11-4. Visitors are encouraged to check their Facebook page for special events or changes in operating hours._skkvkW0.JPG)