OCNews

Mariah Matthews didn't set out to become a visual artist.

For years, words were her medium of choice. She wrote fiction and poetry, drawn to stories that explored resilience, identity and the complexity of human experience. Then, during a difficult period in her life, she found herself with an itch to create something with her hands.

That’s when she started to explore items like plaster, collage and even… chicken wire.

Today, the Okanagan College (OC) Associate of Arts student creates powerful sculptures and collages that invite viewers to pause, look closer and sit with sometimes uncomfortable truths. Her work explores the body, nature and the experiences that shape us, often through imagery that is both beautiful and unsettling. 

One of those pieces — a collage — begins with wolves.

At first glance, viewers see images of wolves as well as deer in flight and a stop sign riddled with bullet holes. The collage palette is primarily black and white, interrupted only by deliberate pops of red. Then, as viewers spend more time with the work, another layer emerges. 

Girls.

Young girls. Teenagers. Toddlers and infants, blended carefully into the composition. 

Matthews placed them there very intentionally.

"Women and girls are being hunted, whether we know it or not," she said.

Built entirely from magazine clippings collected from local second-hand bookstores, the collage reflects on gender-based violence, vulnerability and the devastating stories that continue to make headlines around the world. It is difficult subject matter, but Matthews believes difficult conversations deserve space.

"I don't believe in making art palatable," she stated. "I think art should be honest."

That willingness to explore challenging ideas has flourished during her time at OC.

After leaving another post-secondary institution that wasn't the right fit, Matthews arrived at OC looking for a place where her creativity could take different forms. She found it in the Associate of Arts program and Interdisciplinary Studies, connecting with her classmates and learning from professors who encourage students to think beyond traditional assignments.

"I remember hearing from a professor that projects didn't have to look conventional," Matthews recalled. "You could submit a podcast or approach something differently. I remember thinking, 'That works for my brain.'"

The flexibility gave her permission to experiment. One of her first major projects was a sculpture made from chicken wire and plaster: a human rib cage shaped like a beehive, with handwritten reflections tucked inside honeycomb shaped holes for viewers to discover. She built it for a creative writing course and shared it at the 2026 OC Student Showcase.

When OC Professor Jake Kennedy asked where she planned to pursue her MFA (Master of Fine Arts), Matthews laughed. "I thought he meant an open mic,” she said. “Until that moment, I hadn’t considered myself an artist.”

“There’s very much a, ‘before that conversation’, and an after,” added Matthews.

Her professors encouraged her to follow ideas wherever they led, whether into sculpture, collage or writing and her classmates became collaborators and lasting friends. Those experiences helped her realize that art wasn't something reserved for other people. It was something she was already making. And that sense of belonging has become just as important as the work itself.

"I wasn't expecting to make such meaningful connections at the college," shared Matthews. "But the professors here know your name. They know your work. They genuinely care." 

For Matthews, studying the arts is also about developing empathy. 

She pushes back against the misconception that humanities degrees are somehow less valuable than other pathways, arguing that the ability to think critically and understand different perspectives is essential in every profession and every community.

"Empathy matters everywhere," explained Matthews. "Whether you're working in health care, business or education, understanding people matters." 

Her own artistic practice reflects that philosophy.

Rather than simply documenting difficult realities, Matthews hopes her work creates room for conversation and connection. She believes that even one person who makes you feel seen and understood can change the course of someone's life.

"I want people to understand that they're not alone," she said. "They're not defective, and they're not broken for being affected by what they've experienced or what they're feeling." 

She credits Okanagan College with providing many of those moments for her including the encouragement of professors, the support of her classmates and the freedom to explore without fear of failure. 

“Mariah is a truly dedicated learner—she absorbs complex theoretical learning and immediately applies it to her world,” said OC Interdisciplinary studies and English Professor, Dr. Norah Bowman. “It’s been such an honour to witness her development as an artist and intellectual.”

Matthews was recently accepted into the Bachelor of Fine Arts and the Bachelor of Arts at UBCO. She has accepted her offer for the Bachelor of Arts and will study visual arts before moving on to take on a master’s in social work in order to become an art therapist.

For more information about the Associate of Arts program and Interdisciplinary Studies at Okanagan College, visit okanagancollege.ca/arts.