MANDEM’s “Medical Trials of the Saints” Wins Multiple Awards

MANDEM, the artist identity fronted by FSU Art MFA ’15 Maize Arendsee, has recently received multiple juror awards for “Medical Trials of the Saints,” a series that reimagines art historical saints and mythological figures in a modern, post-human/surrealist setting.

Two paintings from this series, “Translating Theotokos” and “St. Vitus, Worldseer,” together took the Best in Show award at Coburn Gallery’s Compassion—the Art of Healing exhibit at Ashland University in Ohio. This exhibit focuses on the humanitarian nature of the healing process as seen through the arts. This exhibit in on view through November 13 in Ashland, OH.

Another painting from this series, “Cytokinesis,” won Second Place at the OddBall Art Show at Stella’s Art Gallery in Mentor, Ohio. This exhibit, celebrating the “time of year to let out your inner weird,” is on view through the end of October. Read more about this exhibit in The News-Herald at here.

Also from the “Medical Trials of the Saints” series, “St Sebastihttps://bit.ly/31Gyn2Xan, Paion” was featured in the award-winning CAN Journal as the recipient of the NE Ohio CAN Journal Prize from the 2019 Juried Exhibition at Waterloo Arts in Cleveland, OH. Notable Cleveland artist Douglas Max Utter wrote, “The dark paintings of MANDEM have an almost cinematic power…creating personae that bleed across emotional and historical frontiers…MANDEM’s paintings are, plainly, hard to forget.” This feature is in the current Fall, 2019 issue of CAN Journal, available in print or online.

Earlier this year, “Artemis and Athena, Psychopomps” from this series took Best in Show at the 10th Annual May Show at the Gallery at Lakeland in Kirtland, Ohio.

“The Medical Trials of the Saints” received support in the form of an individual artist grant from the Ohio Arts Council for the 2019-2020 season.

Visit MANDEM on social media at facebook.com/MANDEMik and mythpunkart.tumblr.com.