Meet the artist drawing a 'naturally unnatural' world in contrast with her war-torn childhood

The playful work of Winnipeg's Matea Radic is all about women who are at peace with their own bodies

Media | Artist Matea Radic introduces the 'naturally unnatural' characters populating her playful work

Caption: Winnipeg-based artist Radic shows us the world she's created on paper.

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Artist Matea Radic(external link) claims she's "not a wordsmith," so she draws instead. The women and animals in her drawings — which she often turns into GIFs(external link) — are arranged in unassuming daily activities like petting a cat or falling in a puddle. The world Radic creates is populated by women who are at peace with their own bodies, even empowered by them.
"I relate to the women in my drawings because they're all kind of awkward and goofy and just strange little people," Radic explains.
But there are other motivations behind Radic's work, too. The artist was born in Sarajevo and fled to Winnipeg with her mother when the Bosnian War began. In this video, Radic opens up her studio on the eve of her first trip back to her home town. And she explains how her good-natured art practice is perhaps informed by a childhood touched by war.
See the work of Matea Radic(external link) at Graffiti Gallery(external link) in Winnipeg this September. And find her GIFs here(external link).
Watch Exhibitionists(external link) on Friday nights at 12:30am (1am NT) and Sundays at 3:30pm (4pm NT) on CBC Television.