Meet Michaela van Beinum | Light Artist, Abstract Painter, & Electrical Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michaela van Beinum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michaela, what matters most to you?
A concept that continues to intrigue me is the unique perspectives and perceptions of life as individuals. In each pair of eyes, the world is an entirely different set of relationships with the surrounding environment. What drives me is how my view differs so significantly from others and how I can also relate to just about everyone on some level. I feel like a curious child when I create. Holding objects to the light, spilling paint on a canvas, watching how different mediums blend. It is a constant play that keeps my perspective of art and creation unique.

I find joy in the tiniest details in life, especially when it comes to light and color. I take moments to be intensely close to my work in my painting process. Like a chemist discovering a new cell, I examine every fine detail, finding full stories in those perspectives. In other moments I take a step back to see the larger picture. This usually leads to rotating the canvas and painting in a completely new orientation. By the time the painting is about 90% complete, I will have spun it around ten times. It isn’t until the end that I find the correct orientation of the piece. This process keeps my perception playful until I feel my creation is finished.

My method of painting is similar to that which I make light art. I love to illuminate aspects of life that people don’t expect—encouraging a change in perspective to view and understand the art. This makes the installations inherently interactive. Mirrors are my favorite medium for light art. They reflect and bend light in ways that feel endless. I also enjoy how mirrors reveal ourselves looking at the work, making the installation look back at us.

My favorite question to ask my viewers is, “What do you see?” The response is often a completely new understanding of the art I hadn’t thought of myself.

The playful perspectives I enjoy in my work coincide with the values that have kept my life interesting, and my passion fueled.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I wanted to specifically mention my engineering career in this interview because it is a side of myself that I used to avoid mentioning in the art aspects of my life. I find it difficult to describe my career as solely electrical engineering—the technical aspects of my engineering work flood into my art brand and artistic creations. I am now merging the two more visually than ever before and am excited to share myself entirely.

I started my education in civil engineering. I wanted to be an architect, but my tenth-grade art teacher told me I wouldn’t have a career in art. I used to cry over high school art projects after putting so much of myself into them to get horrible grades. I was frustrated with art’s subjectiveness and my art teacher’s bias. I turned to math and physics, two subjects where if something was wrong, there was an error and a method that proved why.

After my first year of university, I got a job interview to be a civil engineering intern. I was unimpressed by the job description and the people interviewing me. I applied to the electrical engineering program that same day.

The following five years of my now electrical engineering degree were the most testing years of my life thus far. Being a woman in engineering made me feel caged, judged, sexualized, and targeted. These feelings came with a whirlpool of emotions that ended up as paint on canvas. Painting and creation became my oasis from the social challenges I was facing at school. The electrical engineering teachings remained fun and exciting, but the oppression was enough to understand why any woman would drop out. I came close to dropping out about three times over five years.

Things didn’t get easier when I started working my second internship. I was harassed and felt invisible. Art was the only thing that made me feel seen.

After graduating, I swore I would never again put myself in a situation like that. I started a job in real estate marketing. After about four months of working there, I realized how understimulated I was. I missed using my engineering knowledge. I was also hardly making rent.

I was hesitant to find an engineering job, worried I may put myself in an unsupportive and oppressive environment. It was when I called an old mentor that my engineering pessimism changed. I’m not finished with my engineering development. I know I have something to say through art about my experience of being a woman in this field, and I am grateful to have both art and engineering in my life as channels to do so.

I now work for a company developing new technologies for energy solutions. The company is centered on creating a greener, more sustainable world and appreciates its employees having a life and passions outside work. I have a manager that genuinely supports my learning and professional growth, and I feel excited about the subjects I have yet to learn.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ottawa always has fun events happening. DripHouse always has a local art show happening which is where I would tell anyone to go for a coffee the morning after they arrive. Over the weekend, there are tons of markets that happen in the city. I would take us to The Real Fly Market so we could get some awesome vintage outfits to wear out to dinner later.

We would start our night on Elgin St. Datsun for cocktails, Gulia for pizza, Arlo for wine. Once we did our little tour, we would go to SAW gallery and see an event there and dance the night away to the sounds of some amazing local DJs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
An overwhelming number of people have helped me get to this stage in my life. Becoming an electrical engineer while starting my art brand was challenging and defeating in many ways. I have my engineering mentors to thank for their encouragement and teachings to help me graduate and start working in the field.

In terms of my brand, I have an entire community to thank. Ottawa has been a beautiful place to start my journey as an artist. It is the kind of city that moves slowly enough for decisions to be made without haste and welcoming enough that there will be support to achieve your goals no matter what.

Becoming a part of Ottawa’s creative scene happened unintentionally and was integral to my development as an artist. Everyone in this city offers something unique, and it’s been a pleasure to collaborate with an exceptional few.

Working with the crew at The Real House of Ensemble has been filled with support and encouragement. The community within that space is always ready to create something and always has an epic production underway. Of that crew, Evan Hartling (Solaris) has been an outstanding and encouraging friend. He is continuously encouraging me to find my voice and pushing me to achieve the dreams we chat about on our long drives.

My work with Marshall McMahon over the past few years has been wonderfully expansive. His willingness to teach and his knowledge of lighting equipment and controls is admirable. Our many sketches and diagrams would look like a nest to anyone else but to me, they are the roadmaps of what has helped me grow.

Rey Martin, the owner of Ottawa’s creative hub and coffee shop DripHouse, has been another massive influence in my development as an artist over the years. Providing guidance, space, and creative freedom for me and other artists to expand and connect. The art shows and many meetings at DripHouse have a special place in my heart.

My beloved friends and old roommates Ruth, Dora, Lorenna, and Jasmine have always been there to encourage me. If it wasn’t for their uplifting presence, I don’t think I would have had the courage to put my creations out into the world. They all have a diverse taste in art and design that has been amazingly helpful in designing my website, styling merch, marketing, etc. In our conversations, I continue developing myself as a friend, business owner, and artist.

Finally, my sister Amanda and sister-in-law Julianna are undoubtedly my greatest motivators. Never failing to miss a show, they have watched and supported me through my entire journey over the past seven years. Our deep conversations about the world and all that can be explored leave me fueled and ready to make a change. I am constantly inspired by their intelligence and their perspectives on the world. If it weren’t for their support and love, I wouldn’t have been where I am today.

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