Architectural designer, artist, and founder of Van Dromme Designs, Josée was born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa. Her love of art and design started at a young age & was refined after completing formal design and art education, working for over two decades in the design industry and teaching for the Interior Design program at Algonquin College. She currently divides her time between the worlds of design and art. Josée’s art is influenced by her love of mark making and the outdoors.

Artistic Statement

I have an intimate relationship with lines and shapes.

Each mark has its own narrative.

Exploring each mark requires patience.

My favorite tool is the pencil.

Putting my pencil to paper is all about listening/trusting that the marks will reveal a new work worth pursuing.

As I create, surprises happen. And very often, the accidents are more interesting than the original idea. Perhaps the accidents are the secret.

Education

• 2015 – 2021 Fine Arts Diploma, Ottawa School of Art
• 1990-1994 Interior Designer Diploma: Algonquin College: Honours graduate
• 2005 – 2006 Architectural Technician Certificate

Awards

• June 13 2016 The Robert Hyndman Painting and Drawing Scholarship from Ottawa School of Art
• November 22 2018 The Lillian Raport Memorial Scholarship from the Ottawa School of Art

Exhibitions

• Group exhibition: Intermediate Painting exhibition in the Lee Matasi gallery January 2018
• Group exhibition: Big in Gallery 200 at the School of Dance Jan-March 2019
• Solo exhibition: Footprint at the GCTC: March 12 – April 28, 2019

“The story is a machine for empathy”

The story is a machine for empathy. In contrast to logic or reason, a story is about emotion that

gets staged over a sequence of dramatic moments, so you empathize with the characters

without really thinking about it too much. It is a really powerful tool for imagining yourself in

other people’s situations.

-Ira Glass

I believe we are deeply influenced by the stories that originate in our family of origin. In this exhibit, I am trying to understand these historic dialogues; how these powerful and important stories are integrated into our own identity and integrated into the stories we tell about ourselves.

How do these stories propel us forward vs. keep us trapped?

Do we let these stories define us?

In what ways do we absorb or reject them?

This project began with a desire to write a children’s book about my mother and her nine siblings – nine girls and one boy. I had imagined that I would develop the characters first. I would pore through old photographs; I would re-write the painful times; I would distance myself from the actual person by assigning them an animal persona – this way I could create a version of the story that would be more joyful and silly than reality; a version that I perhaps wished were real (.

In the end I could not erase the sadness and the hardship from their faces. So I embraced it. I was reminded of all the stories I heard from these women – the stories of hardship and resilience, the surrendered desires and the actualized joys, the disputes and the reconciliations, the births and the losses. These stories were told to us growing up many times by these women over tea, while stitching – surrounded us constantly.

These stories are reflected in this exhibit and I encourage you to look at every facial feature, every textile, and every stitch.

Pluck out the amazing bits of your family stories and let them carry you forward. Absorb the adversities and let them develop your empathy.

The story for the children’s book has evolved – this project has been instrumental in the journey towards the creation of the book. I expect the book to be self-published by next year.

The Lee Matasi Gallery Presents:

“The story is a machine for empathy”

Works by Josée VanDromme

Solo Exhibition

May 5 to 19, 2021

An interview with artist, and designer, Josée VanDromme:

Cathy: Hi, my name is Cathy Brake and I’m the Gallery Coordinator for the Ottawa School of Art, ByWard Market campus. 

I’m here with Josée VanDromme, a third-year diploma student at OSA.

Josée is an Architectural Designer by trade with over 20 years experience in the design industry.  She has taught Interior Design at Algonquin College and now divides her time between her art and her successful design practice.  Josée is also completing her final year of the Diploma Program here at OSA and will be graduating this June.

Josée: Hi Cathy, Thanks for the opportunity.

Cathy: Josée, the main wall mounted piece in your exhibition consists of 10 ceramic and cloth human like figures, each one seated on a hexagonal box that are attached to each other.  There is a remarkable amount of detail in each of the figures!  Can you tell me a bit about what underpinned your decision to use these mediums and why the figures are important to you?

Josée: Using clay to hand-build the heads, hands and feet allowed me to work in 3D.  Being able to hold the pieces in your hands is concrete and tangible, which is what I wanted.  The adding and subtracting that takes place when sculpting is an intimate and slow process.  I feel that all of these factors helped me develop their expressions, draw out their personalities and create their animal personas.  The faces are serious and sad while the hats and boots are playful- the juxtaposition between these two elements is repeated throughout this project. 

Using fabric and choosing to sew the bodies is linked to the fact that all the women were seamstresses.  Most of them worked in clothing factories starting as young as 14.  As young adults they were impeccably dressed, despite having very little means. 

I was taught to sew at a young age and I had not used those skills for decades.  I thought I’d give it a go and was surprised at how quickly all those lessons came back to me.  Working with fabric was another opportunity to be more playful.  However, the final design of the outfits ended up being quite traditional despite the bright and fun textiles – again this theme of the combining of serious and light-hearted bubbled up. 

Why they are important to me?

These figures represent my mother and her siblings, and the 9 women had a huge influence on me growing up.  This project began with a desire to write a children’s book about them.  I had imagined that I would develop the characters first: I would pore through old photographs; I would re-write the painful times; I would distance myself from the actual person by assigning them an animal persona.  By doing this I could create a version of the story that would be more joyful and silly than reality, a version that I perhaps wished could have been their reality, a version more appropriate for my intended audience – children.

In the end I could not erase the sadness and the hardship from their faces.  So, I embraced it.  My mother turns 90 this year and all this isolation during covid has definitely been tough on her, (as well as all the other seniors).  I showed her all the dolls when they were completed and she got so excited – reacting like a small child.  She liked that I had assigned each of them an animal personality – one fun outcome. 

Cathy: Moving around the gallery we see items that provide insight into your planning and some of your thought processes.  As an architectural designer the planning process usually involves sketching layouts, and researching materials, before moving onto producing working drawings, etc.  Have the classes you’ve taken at OSA changed or enhanced anything in that process for you?  Do you do anything differently as a result?  

Josée: That is a really good question.  When I took the interior design and the architectural technician programs at Algonquin there was a precision and rigidness to them.  Early in the programs, we did study design elements and principles, which was a great exploration of your creativity – but that was short lived.  There were classes on how to produce working drawings, where there was an intense focus on clarity and attention to detail – mistakes were not acceptable and for good reason: mistakes in the construction world are very expensive and time consuming.  The build community has to trust that the drawings they are reading are accurate and buildable.  This is where the rigidness set in. 

At the OSA I learned to see and listen differently.  I learned to appreciate the accidents.  In fact, I discovered that the accidents are often the most interesting parts.  This has permitted me to be less rigid with my design work, to be more relaxed and have a bit more fun.  I now try and leave some room for the unexpected.  However, I believe this is a luxury that only comes with years of experience.  I don’t know that I could have done that fresh out of design school.  I also have the luxury of working with the same wonderful contractors, who trust me and would permit such room.  Some do not and take great pleasure in criticizing fresh ideas that are not conventional – it can be rather rough for a young person in this field. 

Cathy: I’m particularly intrigued by your piece entitled “Let’s stitch”; which consists of 7 connected hexagonal shapes, layered with architectural elements, prints of children, stitching and sewing notions.  There is a definite harmony, between the materials, shapes, lines, images and the high level of crafting skills, in its fabrication.   Can you tell me about what I’m seeing here?  What’s the significance behind the hexagonal motif that is carried through your work and can you talk about the narrative of this piece?

 Josée: You are seeing a personal story – but the concept of the tapestry has been used throughout history as a form of storytelling and I’m just borrowing it. 

The repeated hexagon shape, for me, represents interconnection.  These siblings were always together like bees in a hive.  This piece was not an accident – I was learning about Cyanotypes and Van Dyke Brown transfers onto fabric in my integrated processes class and decided to use my mother’s old negatives for fun.  I thought it would help with the making of the dolls but I did not expect to be so drawn in. 

On the left is an elevation of the type of housing my mother grew up in and there are key family photos dotted throughout the other hexagons in the tapestry.  I then transferred pattern drafting lines and numbers onto the fabric with the photos and the elevation.  I used leftover fabric from the dolls’ clothing for the tapestry border and then added in embroidery stitches and created pockets with paper patterns folded in.  I also had to find a place for the very important tools of the seamstress; the measuring tape, the sewing thread and needles. 

Now that it is finished, I can see that this piece combines how my family of origin influenced my chosen line of work.  It also did something else – it permitted me to see things differently.  I developed more empathy for these family members.  This piece represents a hodgepodge of emotions – to the extent that I became very emotional when putting it up and had a tearful moment.   

Cathy: This year you are completing the 3-year diploma program and graduating in June.  What advice would you give to first-year students just entering the program?

Josée: The school has such a wonderful range of classes so explore them and don’t limit yourself to one area – you might be surprised which medium you end up thriving in.  It’s a gift to have so many accomplished teachers in all these different mediums to explore and I encourage students to take advantage of it.

Cathy: Josée, thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions and for sharing your work with us! 

Josée: Thanks Cathy for the thoughtful questions – it was fun!

Cathy: Josée VanDromme’s work is on display in the Lee Matasi gallery at 35 George St. in the ByWard Market from May 5 to 19, 2021, and will also be available to view on the OSA website.