University of the Fraser Valley student and multimedia artist, Cobi Timmermans, specializes in digital and film photography, collage and painting. She has just completed a spotlight exhibition at The Reach Gallery in Abbotsford, B.C. as part of RBC’s Emerge Program 7.4. The Emerge Program is for young, contemporary artists to mentor and learn from more experienced artists and professionals during an exhibition of their artwork.
Participation in the Emerge Program was eye-opening for the young artist, but Timmermans quickly adapted to the idea of having other people and opinions influence her work.
The greater exposure for her art and artistic process helped her grow both as an artist and as a person. Now, after her experience with the program, the thought of third-party evaluation is welcomed as Timmermans believes she gained more confidence to become a more well-rounded artist.
“I really enjoyed working on a project for the community, with a community [of artists],” said Timmermans. “I also got to work closely with another UFV student, Devon Riley. We worked so well together and I learned a lot from her.”
Timmermans completed her Visual Arts diploma at UFV in 2020, and valued the experience and environment at the school so much that she decided to enrol in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program. She is currently working to complete her degree with an Extended Minor in Graphic Design.
“I love the programs [at UFV] so much, how small the classes are and the personal interactions with the professors,” said Timmermans. “I’m close with some of my profs and they put in so much effort helping me develop my art practice — and I really love that.”
Timmermans spoke about how she started out wanting to become a writer. During her youth, she wrote frequently in a journal — which she continues to this day — and finds considerable inspiration from putting her thoughts and ideas onto paper. Back in high school, her poetry was published, and this is what inspired her pursuit of written art. Today, Timmermans combines her craft.
“Written art goes so well with visual art, and I love to combine them.”
Timmermans says she finds inspiration from nature and the world around her, like the Sumas Prairie and the mountains. She also has a strong influence from her family, friends and the experiences they share.
“I grew up locally and started documenting and photographing things like my house or our big, beautiful garden. There was always so much to photograph. And then recently, the flooding was a huge and intense project for me as well.”
The last year has been difficult for Timmermans and her family. They were directly impacted by the flooding of the Sumas Prairie and were evacuated for over a month before it was safe to return. Yet, the artist is optimistic about the future and her place in it.
“One dream I have is to create a photobook with poetry in it. To publish something like that would be great. I’ve also struggled with the thought of commercial photography because fine art is so different, but I’ve recently started working with a clothing brand doing product shots for them. It’s quite enjoyable working with such a creative company.”
Timmermans is working on her future, but clearly has strong ideas about her purpose and direction. When asked for some advice for aspiring artists, she offered, “Try anything. If you have an interest in something, just go for it. You’re going to expand your horizons and it’s going to benefit you in the future.”
Images courtesy of Cobi Timmermans
Steve is a third-year BFA creative writing/visual arts student who’s been a contributing writer, staff writer and now an editor at The Cascade. He's always found stories and adventures but now has the joy of capturing and reporting them.
