HOME TRUTHS: Evangeline

Evangeline is a Melbourne-based artist who lives in an apartment with her
parents and her blue heeler, Foosher. She’s longing for a time when visits
to an art gallery and days at the beach with friends are back on the cards,
and maybe a time when she and Foosher can live out of the city and in
nature.

Name: Evangeline

Age: 22

Lives in: Malvern East, Melbourne

Please finish this sentence: I feel at home when … I’m just chilling by myself in a quiet space with my knick knacks, dog, art and unicorn LED light.

What does home mean to you? Has this changed since the COVID-19 pandemic?                              

The pandemic has definitely affected my relationship to my current home; spending so much time inside my apartment has made me feel very cramped and trapped. So, right now I would feel a lot more positive about my current home if I spent less time in it. But, in general, I feel like I can create a sense of home wherever I go with enough time. I lived in Belgium for two years when I was 10-11 years old. At first everything felt foreign and strange but, after some time, I accumulated a series of happy experiences and close relationships and eventually I started to feel a sense of belonging. Earlier this year, I lived in Holland for three months while completing an artist residency. I spent most of my time in the studio making art which made me feel very comfortable and happy there. I don’t feel I made enough connections to feel truly at home there so, I guess the answer to the question ‘what does home mean to me’ is… time.

Where’s home for you?

I live with my parents in an apartment near central park. We used to live in a much larger house, but Mum decided we needed to downsize. We all did a spiritual cleanse by de-cluttering our lives and moved into a three-bedroom apartment with our rambunctious blue heeler, Foosher. We originally thought it would be perfect for Foo because we were going to be living right opposite a dog park. Unfortunately, he was attacked by another dog and since then he’s been terrified of other dogs and tries to eat them. So, I’m not such a big fan of living in the apartment anymore. He’s done a lot of training and he’s a lot better now but not ‘dog park better’. I love my parents and really appreciate them letting me live with them rent free. My dad even cooks dinner for me every night, even when I decided I didn’t want to eat dairy anymore. I want to be an artist, so living with them means I’m able to chase that dream and maybe one day live somewhere far away from a dog park, near nature, with some horses and my dog.

What have you lost because of lockdown? Is there anything you’ve gained?

I feel very lucky that I haven’t lost a lot during lockdown. I work at a school as an art assistant and during stage 3 they provided redeployment options to do some gardening or painting. On top of that, I feel very lucky to have my parents to support me and provide my dog and I with a safe place to live. I’ve had a few exhibitions pushed back and I am struggling to make art in my small apartment but no one I know has been sick and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I feel like I’ve gained an appreciation for a lot of the relationships in my life. A worldwide pandemic has been a big reminder to check in on my friends and family, and just take the time to ask, ‘hey, are you good? No, really, are you okay?’

What’s the first thing you’ll do when there are no restrictions at all?

I really miss visiting art galleries, feeling inspired and envious of what other artists are doing right now. But I also really miss seeing my friends and hanging out with them at the beach. So I guess I’ll have a busy day of visiting art galleries and hunting down all my friends to take them to the beach when this is all over.  

Interview Maria O’Dwyer Illustration Ellen Porteous

https://shop.qvwc.org.au/collections/evangeline-clark