Hello, Adulthood!

Zoe Anthony’s gallery show may provide some insight into all your new, huge responsibilities

The campus is full of young students hoping to gain experiences that enrich their journey into adulthood, but the essence of what makes an adult remains an important question. Zoe Anthony, a University of Regina Bachelor of Fine Arts student, offered spectators a way to try and answer this question. From June 22 to July 10, she explored the concept of adulthood through her show, Imitating Adulthood, at the Fifth Parallel Gallery. 

Capturing moments and making memories 

This show was inspired by Anthony’s parents’ photo albums, as well as the sitcoms she watched growing up, creating a collection that explores adolescence and adulthood. She said, “The majority of my formative teenage years were during the pandemic. I watched a lot of shows about what teenagers were supposed to be doing.” 

She talked about feeling robbed of experiencing those teenage moments due to the pandemic. After things started going back to ‘normal,’ Zoe felt a natural sense of gratitude to be able to go out and live life. That’s when she started documenting gatherings and moments, from an ordinary hangout with her friends to observing others, to preserve the memory of youth. 

The only way to not be lonely is to not be alone. – Zoe Anthony

A universal experience of belonging and connection 

Anthony wants others to experience and imagine themselves in the fleeting moments portrayed throughout the show, from sipping drinks with friends to Uber rides across town. “Lots of them, I cropped the heads out, or it’s like somebody’s back, or a hand, so you feel much more immersed in it,” she said, also talking about the yearning for connection among young people. “We, as a generation of youth going into adolescence, feel we have lost something by the prevalence of social media.” 

When discussing the exhibition, Anthony said she wanted it to be a happy one rather than focusing on the sad parts. “I did have people look at the show before it was up and say ‘what about the bad parts?’” 

Girlhood with “Fashionably Late” 

“Fashionably Late” explores aspects of girlhood, including girls being crammed into an Uber for a party, or going to someone’s place. When looking at the piece, Anthony says, “I hope that people can go, ‘that’s me and my girls.’” 

She also hopes the piece gives them a sense of community and excitement to go out and have fun. 

Freedom and fun with “Dhani and Amelia”

“Dhani and Amelia” was inspired by two girls who were dancing. Anthony took a picture of them because she saw them having fun. This was later transformed into the painting to encapsulate the experience of having that freedom as an adult. Like many of the paintings in the show, the focus is less on creating a formal portrait and more on preserving the fleeting moment. 

Chug! Chug! Chug! “At Ugly’s Pub”

“At Ugly’s Pub” is a piece by Anthony celebrating turning eighteen and going out to a pub in Alberta to explore the concept of adulthood. 

She reminisces, “We are drinking our rum and cokes, trying to be so grown up, and I thought it was such a key narrative piece.” 

It is also an immersive experience, with faces cropped out so students and others can imagine themselves in the scene. 

What’s the dating scene like?: “Marley and Cyrus”

“Marley and Cyrus” explores a couple and sets up the play of man and woman. Anthony described the bar scene, buying someone a drink and asking them out as part of a process of courtship. 

Through these moments, Imitating Adulthood presents growing up as not a single transition but as a collection of small experiences: going out with friends, dating, meeting people, and creating memories along the way.

Anthony’s advice for students experiencing the realm of adulthood is to make friends and talk to people. She said, “The only way to not be lonely is to not be alone.”