Creativity has played a vital role in the construction and development of our region. It has permeated diverse fields and greatly contributed to the growth of our community. One community member whose creativity has started to populate and redefine outdoor and indoor spaces alike is Nicole Beno.
With a combination of both practical and theoretical experience, Beno utilizes her knowledge and skillset to produce original pieces and work for clients as a graphic designer meets artist. From Windsor where she received her Bachelor of Visual Arts and Communications, to York University where she graduated from the Master of Design program and now to the Creative Capital of Canada, she has been able to navigate Southern Ontario like none other.
“I wasn’t sure how long I would stay (In Waterloo Region) but it kept growing on me. I started to feel part of different communities here, and it began to feel like home.”
Among her commissioned work in the area, she now counts up clients like TD Bank, The Drake and the City of Kitchener.
Beno’s creative approach follows an area where art and design meet, and blend together. The idea of this process has been fueled by her curiosity and passion for experimenting and intertwining both of her disciplines when the client and the audience permit.
“For example, the navigation system in an airport… The visual design in an airport has to achieve its purpose of being easy to read, and functional, getting people from one end of the airport to the other. Art can be a bit more free, where thoughts and ideas are manifested in form.” Added Beno.
Although sometimes there is a clear difference in which one is mainly used over the other, it becomes more interesting for her when the two disciplines are blurred. She believes that even when the angle of specific projects suggests one perspective, she prefers to see her skills as part of a spectrum by not defining herself only as an artist or as a designer.
Through a combination of Beno’s designer skills and history as a former traditional folk dancer, she has been able to channel her Slovak Canadian heritage.
“I’m finding ways to explore Slovak culture through different art projects about Slovak Canadian identity. I’m still trying to figure out what it means to me and how to visualize it. I love all the colours of the traditional folklore costumes, and the details of the intricate patterns on the aprons and sleeves. They’re very decorative. I’ve always been inspired by the brutalist architecture in Bratislava when visiting as well the very vibrant art and design scene there.” said Beno.
Through such narratives, Beno has always focused on her process rather than solely on the finished pieces. The importance has lied in being granted creative freedom and taking on projects that she trusts that she can present her best work.
Contact Nicole Beno: www.nicolebeno.com