Artist Statement

When we measure success, it is based on our productivity rather than enjoyment. Time spent wisely is time spent working and working quickly. This mentality makes us desensitized to the simple pleasures that allow ourselves to feel a sense of peace and contentedness. Using mixed mediums of digital art and paintings, I create designs that allow myself to enter a slower pace and state of mind to emphasize the importance of enjoying the mundane.

When we are doing something we deeply enjoy, we get “lost in it,” forgetting our sense of time. Philosophies like Buddhism consider this sensation a form of meditation. When I paint abstract forms, I experience a similar sense of euphoria. I dispute the capitalist mentality that states that our time must always be spent “wisely” by demonstrating time spent getting lost in a moment is also valuable.

In a digital age where technology is constantly competing for our attention, I ask you to do nothing besides stare into my work. I ask you, the viewer, to challenge your preconceived notions of “doing nothing” and contemplate why they are negative.

Madelyn Chelak

About the Artist

Madelyn Chelak is a creator currently based in Baltimore and originally from New Jersey. Growing up, she was raised by a single mother who pushed her to explore her own creativity and color outside the lines. Her unconventional childhood gave her perspective to challenge social paradigms that discourage the pursuit of art, especially for women. Early in her pursuits, she found inspiration in drawing and painting portraits using oil and acrylic. She later explored designed-based work, such as textile/fabric design, collage, and printmaking. During her time as an undergraduate, she studied Graphic Design, and grew more experience developing logos, website design, and posters.

Alongside art, Madelyn is passionate about social justice and community building. In her early adulthood, she organized and participated in protests against racial and gender-based violence, most notably in the academic settings she has attended. Currently, she works as a graphic designer for the Center for Community, Service, and Justice/ York Road Initiative at Loyola. Madelyn seeks to continue to combine these passions of social justice and art in her career and daily life.