Concordia alumnus Kayla Breaker showcases her love for Montreal.
Human Nature: Our Hearts Will Go On is Kayla Breaker’s love letter to the city of Montreal.
Breaker’s exhibition consists of a series of oil paintings depicting her favourite parts of Montreal. The series is hosted by the BBAM! Gallery until Oct. 27.
After winning her first regional drawing competition in grade one, Breaker knew that she wanted to be an artist. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Concordia in 2021. Using oil paints, Breaker creates dream-like works that seem to be bathed in neon light.
“I’m very inspired by memories and nostalgia, and when we look back at our memories, we tend to look at them with this oversaturated fuzzy glow,” said Breaker. “We might remember things even better than they actually were in reality, and that’s what I try to translate into a physical form.”
A Montreal native, Breaker has an intimate connection with the city and its landmarks. She hopes to allow others to see Montreal through her own nostalgia-tinged memories. Breaker’s paintings feature the Notre-Dame Basilica, Cosmo’s diner, a Honoré-Beaugrand-bound metro, the Montreal Pool Room, and more, highlighting the complexity of her city.
“It’s almost like a checklist,” said Breaker. “If someone wants the true Montreal experience, they should visit each and every location in these paintings to give them the authentic experience.”
Breaker’s self-proclaimed piece de resistance, My Heart Will Go On, is an ode to two beloved Montreal icons, Celine Dion and the church she got married in, the Notre-Dame Basilica.
“I feel like this piece really embodies the awe that is Montreal,” Breaker explained. “It’s larger than life and the vibrancy of the piece is just something that can be translated to anything about Montreal.”
While some of the landmarks chosen for her paintings are obvious icons of the city, such as the Notre-Dame Basilica, others are less glamorous. Breaker said she finds herself attracted towards the parts of Montreal that are the most raw and honest.
“That’s a huge inspiration of mine, the idea of authenticity and transparency. I feel like that’s the key to life itself honestly is just be yourself. That’s why something like the Montreal Pool Room has been around for a hundred years.”
The Montreal Pool Room is a greasy spoon restaurant that has stood in downtown Montreal since 1912. Breaker has stumbled into the restaurant multiple times for many late night hot dogs after “being up to no good,” she said. Each time, she found herself fascinated by its history.
“Just knowing how many people have gone through those doors in a hundred years, can you imagine? For a hotdog!” Breaker said.
It’s evident through her artwork how deeply Breaker cares for every inch of Montreal. She’s even gone as far as getting the city of Montreal’s logo tattooed on her middle finger.
“It’s such a glorious city,” said Breaker. “I love it no matter what it does to me, it’s like a toxic partner: I always find the beauty in it and I always come back to it.”