Pencil crayon and crochet
30 cm by 76 cm
Interview with Victoria Barrow-Sterngast
Questions by Quist Arts Editor Ev Ricky
Tell us more about yourself! Do you have hobbies and interests outside of making art?
I enjoy STEM and crafting things. I also like psychology and hope to go into the psychology field. I enjoy researching the science behind the brain.
Can you tell us more about what inspired you to make this work?
What inspired me was the autistic experience of having a difficult time in social settings. It can often feel like everyone around you is speaking in a code that only you don’t know. Sometimes it can feel very lonely because no matter how hard you try to join in on the conversation, it feels almost impossible.
What are your favourite ideas or themes to explore in your artwork?
I like to use a lot of symbolism in my artwork. I tend to think in pictures, so a lot of my art is how I visualize my emotions and thoughts in my head.
What are you working on right now?
I’ve been working on crafting a sci-fi gun. I had a motor that I took apart from a toy fan and used it to make a part of the gun spin, using all recycled materials and papier maché to bring it all together! I’ve also been drawing a lot of patterns in my sketchbook.
What drew you to art-making originally?
I picture all my thoughts in pictures, patterns and colours. So turning the pictures in my head into real-life drawings feels very satisfying and relaxing.
Victoria Barrow-Sterngast was born in 2007 in Montreal, Canada. She enjoys art, writing, cooking, and psychology research. She hopes to continue her studies after high school in psychology. She specifically loves doing research on neurodivergence and how it works in the brain. A lot of her art depicts how she feels as someone who is autistic and has ADHD.