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C2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, July 5, 2000 Vanathy Ganesharajah earned $1,000 to further her art education By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR The Three Faces o f Vanathy could well be the title o f Vanathy G anesharajah's large three-panel painting; but it isn 't However, the Iroquois Ridge High School student did include this self-portrait in her port folio when applying for the Art Scholarship 2000 awarded by the Oakville Galleries Volun teer Association. That painting, along with other art work in her portfolio, won the 19-year-old OAC student second place in the competition, and a $1,000 scholarship to continue her art studies. Ganesharajah, who has been drawing since she was a child, says her parents were always buying her crayons and markers and encourag ing her to draw. So she obliged. And it has paid off in many ways, not the least of which is the opportunity to spend her life doing something she loves. During this past year, Ganesharajah has Vanathy Ganesharajah's self portrait was just explored spirituality and self-realization through Oakville Galleries Volunteer Association. her OAC art project. In her three-paneled selfportrait, each frame reveals more colour and a get really close to someone that's when you closer view of the artist's face. really see who they are," says Ganesharajah. The first panel, done in blue and white, is "And when you look at yourself really close, meant to look like a blue print, says Ganeshara you do see all the details about yourself that you jah. probably didn't see before." "You have a rough idea about yourself; other A second series of three, which she drew in people have a rough idea ink, also explores the indi about you," she explains. vidual. Only this series "...w h en you g e t really dose The second frame por symbolically examines to som eone th a t' s when you trays someone who is willspirituality, beginning with irtg to take a closer look at a woman who is not sure of really see who th ey are. A nd herself as well as someone her spirituality and pro when you look a t you rself whom others are willing to gressing to one who is really d o se, you do see a ll the pay more attention to. complete - at one with all "When people get to phases o f herself. details about you rself.. .you know you better and you The final piece in the probably didn ' t see before." know yourself better, you OAC graduate's thematic see yourself almost in project is a symbolic instal colour," explains the artist. lation piece, consisting of a "Even though people take the first step and look black box with white side panels on which the closer at you, they're still in the process of circle of life is represented in circular patterns. learning about you." This installation piece can be plugged in to illu Then, o f course, the final frame is like an minate the spiritual text inside which is written enlarged photograph revealing all the facial in sand-script. details. "I just wanted to show that when you Ganesharajah says the sand-script stresses the Photo by Peter C. McCusker one work of art in the OAC graduate's body of work that earned her a scholarship from the importance of the soul. "When I put the light inside, I wanted to show that that's who you are. You're that light; you're the soul, the spirituality encompassed in that one space," she says, explaining that the box, representing the physical body, is merely a container that holds the soul. During her short but productive artistic career Ganesharajah has also helped paint and design a few theatre sets, something she began five years ago when an art teacher asked if she'd like to help paint a set for a community theatre group. Seeing the finished product as a member of the audience gave the young Oakville artist a new-found respect for the various designers and crew members who work behind the scenes in live theatre. With such a range o f artistic talents, Gane sharajah is bound to make good use of her $1,000 scholarship as she decides which univer sity she will attend in the fall to begin working on her BFA. Art Scholarship 2000 competition The Art Scholarship 2000 competition is sponsored by the Oakville Galleries Volunteer Association (OGVA) and offers a $2,000 first place award and a $ 1,000 second place award. This scholarship competition is open to any graduating Oakville student who is planning a post-secondary education in the field of art. Each of the winning artists is expected to apply his or her scholarship money to tuition fees for a post-secondary school program in the visual arts. The scholarship competition is held annually. This year the OGVA received 17 entries. The judges for this year's competition were Gillian McIntyre, director o f the Oakville Arts Council, Marianne Carman, docent director at Oakville Galleries, and Mae Giroux, Oakville artist and a member of the OGVA. 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