Solo art exhibit by Yaelly opening at Ironwood

Ironwood Cider House on Lakeshore Road is more than a cider house — it’s a place for up and coming artists to showcase their work, including the labels on their cans.

“We change our can art every year or two, depending on the number of new releases,” said Robyn Brown, marketing and events manager at Ironwood.

“We gather a database of artwork submitted by local artists, and choose pieces that will help to tell the story of each product. Last year we featured a beautiful, woodland-style piece by First Nations artist Brent Hardisty on our Heritage cider.”

“This year,” added Brown, “we commissioned a street art/graffiti-style piece from Chris Perez for our Original. It will be called the OG, alluding to the fact it was our first ever cider.”

Remy Gecelter, who goes by Yaelly for her artwork, first learned about Ironwood’s interest in showcasing art when she applied to have her work depicted on cider cans.

“My whole life I’ve done art. I started when I was eight years old,” said Gecelter.

After taking a break from her work, Gecelter, who has no formal art training, felt she lacked professional experience. “I felt, as a self-taught artist, that I had something to prove.”

Ironwood is giving her the forum to prove herself as an artist. Her first solo exhibit, called Self-Titled, “is an introduction of myself into the art world,” said Gecelter. “It’s a bit of a window into my soul.”

“I was a very shy, introverted kid, and I found this a way to express myself without having to speak,” she explained. “I also used art to help with my mental health to get through tough times. Art is definitely a form of meditation.”

Gecelter, who was born in South Africa and lives in Toronto, said, “my work is a reflection of the beautiful chaos that exists within each of us, and in this collection, I have channelled that chaos into a series of bright, bold and emotion-evoking pieces.”

Using mixed media, she has created a textured and multidimensional canvas that mirrors the layers of human emotion. A variety of colours and materials, including transferred images, acrylic and spray paint, is used to create pieces with the sponge painting method and a knife palette to give the canvas a layered and textured look.

“I draw inspiration from the world around me, but ultimately, my work is a reflection of my own inner landscape,” said Gecelter. “Through my art, I am able to explore my own vulnerabilities and share them with the world, creating a space for vulnerability and authentic connection.”

The exhibit starts May 7 and runs until June 8. Gecelter, who will be there opening night, is hoping that visitors to her pop-up gallery will help to create a community canvas.

“I will be bringing a blank canvas and I will encourage everybody to add themselves to that canvas with paint,” she explained. “I think it would be really interesting to see what people put on that canvas.”

“My hope is that each piece in this collection will evoke a response in the viewer, sparking a conversation about the complexities of the human experience,” she continues. “‘Self-Titled’ is not just a collection of art, it is a representation of the beauty and power of vulnerability, and an invitation to embrace the chaos within us all.”

Exhibits in Ironwood’s gallery space “began as a way to showcase collections from our label artists,” said Brown, “but I quickly realized how many extremely talented local artists we have in the area, so I decided to expand beyond just our label artists. Since then, our gallery has been consistently booked, with exhibits changing every four to six weeks. We’ve had a lot of fun showcasing different styles of art and allowing the artists to have creative freedom with everything, from their layout to the pieces they select to their reception parties.”