Your Alumni

Pilgrimage led alumna back to U of C

By Jenny Conway Fisher

Cecilia Gossen’s “aha” moment occurred at the top of a hill in northwestern Spain as she and her daughter searched in vain for a landmark while hopelessly lost. The Gossens had veered from their planned route as they cycled the el Camino de Santiago—an 800-km journey to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia—one of the most important Christian pilgrimages since medieval times.

The epiphany came as Gossen, BFA’92, MFA’98, looked out on the hill and realized that millions of pilgrims walking through the Spanish countryside over thousands of years had worn down the landscape to form a distinct path to their ultimate destination. For Gossen, it was a mind-boggling experience.

“We were part of a current of humanity,” she says. “Thousands of people had come before and thousands will come after. I realized that we were a part of history.”

This transcendent moment led the Calgary artist to investigate the idea of personal pilgrimage and the monuments erected along the routes of great journeys. Gossen then jumped at the opportunity to pursue a PhD in the U of C’s new Interdisciplinary Graduate Program by launching an artistic investigation into the connections between sculpture (Fine Arts), architecture (Environmental Studies) and religion (Humanities).

Now in her second year of the four-year program, Gossen says that one of the most exciting elements about interdisciplinary studies is the interaction she can have with like-minded people. “Talking to undergraduate classes, collaborating with all levels of students—ideas are constantly being shared and rubbing off onto other people,” she says.

Over the past 25 years, Gossen has participated in more than 40 exhibitions in Canada, the U.K., Chile and her native Colombia. In her art, she combines an interest in history with humour and colour to create unique and expressive pieces. Her latest work incorporates archways, columns and the ornate decoration of illuminated manuscripts.

Upon her graduation, Gossen plans to mentor younger artists. “Learning is a lifelong journey,” she says. “We should all pursue our dreams without setting limits for ourselves.”

Visit www.ceciliagossen.com to see more of the artist’s work.