dorian eats jeanne’s cake
What kind of food did you grow up eating?
Lots of traditional Jewish meals, matza ball soup and my mom makes really good latkes every Hanukkah. Lots of carbs.
What are some of your favourite Jewish places in Wininpeg?
Falafel house for sure, it’s unreal.
Why did you choose a Jeanne’s Cake?
Growing up my family and extended family, for every single birthday ordered a Jeanne’s Cake. It’s a staple for us and my favourite cake ever. I would ask for it constantly for every celebration or achievement, so let’s just say I’ve had a lot of Jeanne’s Cakes, haha. The banana flavour is at the top of my list but this marble is a close second. I’ve developed a theory that has absolutely no merit but I just feel like everyone who likes Jeanne’s Cakes hates ice cream cake and everyone who loves ice cream cake doesn’t care about Jeanne’s Cake. Fun story, my mom was a flight attendant and she said that people were always bringing Jeanne’s Cakes onto the plane in Winnipeg and keeping it in the overhead bins.
What are you doing here in Winnipeg?
I’m from here, I moved to Toronto 9 years ago now. I came in to have this solo show at Chip’s Vintage and to visit family and friends.
Can you tell us about your beautiful shiny art?
These are all abstract pieces, the mediums that I use are acrylic paint, drywall, ink, holographic paper, resin, and sometimes glitter. The way I make them is that I’ll layer different paint or product, whatever, and then in a few weeks I’ll revisit it and keep layering and layering. The holographic paper is the last thing that I’ll add and it’s supposed to represent how everyone has a different perspective of art, how things can look different based on how you look at them, or how the light hits them.
You do each piece, walk away and then come back, what's that like?
It’s a fun process. Sometimes I don’t love something and then feel like ‘it’s ugly, I hate it actually, I’m going to throw it in the garbage.’ Time allows you to make something new from “the mistakes.”
Do you prefer large format pieces?
I would much prefer making large scale big pieces, I used to do a lot of smaller scale things but it’s so much more interesting when you have more canvas to work with, you can explore so many more ways.
We love the shiny paper!
I started using it because I was wrapping a Hanukkah gift and bought wrapping paper that looked similar, I became obsessed with it because of the way the light hits.
When is a piece done?
This sounds so obnoxious but it’s honestly just a feeling. When I look at something feel like the composition is good, the colours are all flowing together, it’s structural, textured, that’s kind of when I know.
You went to school for psychology, but were you always into art?
Yeah, I’ve been drawing my whole life, my grandfather was a painter, my dad is an art collector so I’ve always been surrounded by art. I wanted to go to school for fine art, but then I chose psychology. I was considering doing art therapy and a program for it, I like the way it connects.
What was your high school art style?
I had this one art teacher who believed you had to be very meticulous in the way you create, very clean. I didn’t really learn a lot about abstract art back then but I think I learned through that way of teaching that it’s not what I want to do. I rather experience and be explorative with it. But in high school, I drew a ton. I was always drawing and illustrating.
How long did it take for you to find your style?
I feel like I’m still finding my style, it’s ongoing. Always changing, always evolving. I would say maybe in the last couple of years, having created a ton of new art in the pandemic and getting comfortable with my role as a therapist I feel a lot better about my style.
When someone comes to a style it seems like a success, and these pieces are so “Dorian.”
Thank you, that’s such a compliment. I feel like everyone has that kind of experience to some degree, getting comfortable with yourself, getting comfortable with what you create or what you’re doing. I remember when I was in university, I felt sick saying “I’m an artist” because I felt like I wasn’t trained but as you get comfortable with yourself and keep practicing you eventually feel ok.
What is the Toronto art scene like?
It’s very big, there are tons of creative people, lots of different types of creatives, I used to work in a gallery there and would see so many different crowds. I think the difference between Toronto and Winnipeg is there’s more of a family vibe when it comes to creativity and I miss that.
Are we special in Winnipeg? There are so many artists.
We must be! Every time I come back there’s more happening, more creativity and more shows. I was speaking to someone the other day and asked ‘why is it that people in Winnipeg are creating so much work?’ She said it’s because we’re so cold and stuck in our homes much of the year - what else are you going to do? When anyone asks what Winnipeg or people from Winnipeg are like I tell them it’s a bunch of creative, hard-working, friendly and kind people. The creative scene here is very open, it’s not shutting anyone down. It’s accessible and kind.
You are a therapist and an artist, what did you want to be when you were growing up?
When I was really young I wanted to be an animator, I was really obsessed with cartoons and animation. Then I wanted to be an orthodontist, I’m not sure why, I must have gone to the orthodontist once and was like ‘this is really cool.’ I actually moved to Toronto originally to study graphic design after I had done my undergrad in psychology but I couldn’t handle the rigidity of it, so then I dove further into psychology and therapy.
What is your therapy practice like?
I work with people of all ages but often with women in their early 20s and specifically with people with a lot of anxiety and self-esteem issues. I also incorporate a lot of attachment theory, so helping people through breakups and relationship issues.
What celebrity would you love to sit down and have a therapy sesh with?
Well, I love Fiona Apple, I’ve loved her my entire life. Definitely her, I just want her to be my friend but if I have to give her therapy that’s fine too. I love her lyrics and the poetry behind them. She’s unbelievable, I feel like she helped me make sense of life when I was a preteen. I actually like how long it takes for her to put out work, shes’ very intentional.
“Since we’re here at Layla’s clothing pop up, you should try on a few pieces?”
What’s a surprising thing that you learned after becoming a therapist?
What was surprising to me was that it’s obviously about understanding theory, specifics and psychology but what I think is more important is how you connect with the client. Nobody wants you to be perfect or act like you know better than they do, because you don’t. I was surprised at how much you could bring your own style to therapy. Maybe something that wasn’t surprising but was confirmed was how everyone goes through such similar things but think they’re the only ones experiencing it. That no one knows how they feel and it’s so unique to them, because people aren’t always vulnerable and able to talk about it enough.
Just slide them a Fiona Apple CD.
Yeah exactly, that’s what people are paying me for.
What words or phrases do you most overuse?
I go “mmmm” all the time at work as a therapist, so probably mmmm. The amount of times I say mmmm or mmhmmm is incredible.
Is synesthesia a thing?
Yeah! It totally is. I feel like I have a very minor form of synesthesia because there are numbers that I have always equated to colour for me. Like 8 is always yellow, I don’t know how to explain it, and 5 is always blue. Does that make sense? Colour can represent so many things, like emotions - colour therapy is interesting too.
What’s your favourite colour?
Pink! I feel like your favourite colour says a lot about who you are as a person, it equates to your personality in a lot of ways. I wear a lot of pink and there’s so much in my art, I can’t help it, I’ve always been that way.
Did you ever have any weird jobs in Winnipeg?
I didn’t have any weird jobs, but I did work at Booster Juice and met Justin Bieber. He came in when he still had the swoop, I was on break eating a barbecue panini and my friend and coworker, Dayna, came into the back and yelled “Justin Bieber’s here!” I ran to the front with barbecue sauce all over my face. We made him a smoothie and took a photo with him. It made it to the Winnipeg Free Press and the clipping was framed at Booster Juice for years. I went back there a few years ago and they had taken it down which was pretty upsetting.
What’s the best music to paint to?
Depends on my mood but I would have to say Fiona Apple again. I’ve been listening to a lot of Dua Saleh, I love Elliot Smith... if you want to follow me on Spotify I’m always making playlists.
What’s the wildest way someone has described your art?
I’m sure there are people who have described it in a wild way behind my back - who knows, but the wildest way is when people say “oh I love your work, I love the colour but I would never hang it in my house.” I would hope that it’s not because they don’t like it but because people pick based art based on how it looks aesthetically in their home and that’s fine, but I feel like it’s so much more fun to choose art for your home that you love and is a conversation piece. So that’s always a little bit confusing to me.
“Would love to but simply cannot.”
”I never want to see it again, especially in my living quarters but I like it for you.”
What is your favourite tattoo that you have?
This one here that says “That’s All.” It was done by a Toronto artist named Tanya and it’s an homage to The Devil Wears Prada because my dad and I love that movie. I’ve seen it 5,000 times, we watch it every time I come home and I love Meryl Streep. Isn’t the font good?
What’s your favourite mustard?
This is probably sacrilegious but I hate it and my answer is ketchup.
Interviews by Katy Slimmon & Ali Vandale
Photography by Ali Vandale