Global Fragments: Candacee White’s Mapscapes Exhibition

Candacee White’s solo exhibition for February might well be titled “Around the World with Candacee White” because the multimedia artist has combined materials from 80 countries she has visited into colorful abstract collages.

White has a fascination with discovering foreign cultures and collecting materials that reflect everyday life. She uses Hindi, Arabic, and Burmese newspapers, gold leaf from a Belgian junk market, old maps, color swatches from local garage sales, origami paper from Japan and Hanjji paper from Korea. She also includes modern crafting materials from many countries and has a cache of brilliantly shiny sticky-backed vinyl that she sourced in Thailand. These elements are combined and arranged with a combination of uniformity and randomness. White uses ink and pencil to fill in the empty space between collage elements as a way to use imagination to fill in the gaps of memory. “I want people to feel the same delight of discovery that I felt when I had these experiences,” she said. The result is strikingly colorful and unusual abstract works that have layer upon layer of visuals and meanings. 

White’s goal is to evoke curiosity and a desire to explore in the people who view her works. “They’re a mash-up of chaotic memories of places, of how they exist in my mind. It helps me make sense of a mishmash of memories. I use it as a form of meditation.” Her Mapscape collages range in sizes from 8" x 10" to 16" x 24". In addition to works on canvas and paper, White has crafted two quilts based on her collage designs that will also be in the exhibit. 

After an early arts education at Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School with teachers Linda Stilley and the late Robert Hardy, White went to OSU where she majored in English. After graduating, she traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to take a job teaching English at an international school. After four years there, she moved to Myanmar, then Hungary, Azer Baijan, Andorra, and Belgium, staying about four years in each country. 

 White has a set of rules that she uses in creating her collages. First, she sets down a neutral background on heavy paper. Then she arranges the collage elements, using one element to represent each continent. She always uses at least one piece of her own earlier original work, such as a print or a watercolor. After creating the colored pencil or gel pen sketches that connect the collage elements, she applies a reflective surface such as gold leaf or shiny vinyl. “My art is the opposite of minimalism,” she said. 

Many of the cut outs of maps she uses in her collages are reflective of changes in history. For example, a map of South Africa has what is now called Rhodesia labeled as Zambisia. “I love the artistry of maps as well as the historical aspect of them,” White said.

From the historical nuances of antique maps to the vibrant hues of Thai vinyl, Candacee White’s Mapscapes exhibition at the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition offers a captivating visual experience. It’s a chance to explore the world through the eyes of a dedicated traveler and artist, and a must-see for anyone interested in the power of art to connect us across cultures and time. Be sure to visit the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition this February to experience Mapscapes for yourself.

Follow Candacee:

Website: candaceewhite.com

Facebook: @candacee.white.9 Instagram: @candacee.white

Etsy: @candaceewhite