ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: TORI CHERRY

Could you tell us who you are? And what it is that you do?

My name is Tori Cherry and I’m an artist working here in Charlottesville. I work with New City Arts Initiative at their Welcome Gallery space downtown. I’m originally from Virginia Beach, but I moved to Charlottesville about 6 years ago to attend UVA.

What drives and inspires your work?

My work is inspired by my everyday life and my loved ones. I’m interested in using my art practice as a way to reflect on the events in my life and my connection to others. I’m also really fascinated by composition, form, and color so I am always on the lookout for any combination of these three things that strike me.

How do you approach the work? What's your process?

Once I am inspired by an initial image or scene, I try to visualize what composition feels right, how I can push the colors and shapes that I see, and how to convey my feeling towards the subject. I don’t usually sketch anything beforehand which admittedly leads to a lot of failed paintings, but I really enjoy just going straight in. I think there’s a freshness that’s difficult to achieve when you’ve done too much planning beforehand. A lot of my paintings are the result of intuitive decisions and I really value the genuine reactions that occur during the process.

Who or what has had the greatest influence upon you as an artist?

Personally, my friendships with other artists have had a big influence on me. My conversations with them are always enlightening and affirming and they often have the language for things that I struggle to express outside of painting which I’m very grateful for. They encourage me to think deeply about my practice and help push me to keep going.

What are your interests outside of the studio?

I love to travel, listen to music, try new recipes, and support other artists when I’m not working in the studio.

Has there been a light switch moment, a turning point that stands out to you?

I’d say that my Lupus diagnosis was a turning point for me. It came following months of feeling so much exhaustion and despair; not knowing what was going on or if I would get better. I felt really angry at my body for not acting like a 20-something year old body should and keeping me from doing the things I wanted to do. It’s such an awful feeling to have all this creative energy building up and not have the energy or the physical capacity to act on it. After that diagnosis, being able to name what was going on and having a somewhat clear path of how to move forward I could finally envision a future where I could do things because I wouldn’t be in pain forever. I’m just so, so grateful that I’m doing better now and am able to continue doing what I love. I know that that’s not the case for everyone, and that good health can change so quickly so I do my best to make the most out of right now. I will be honest though, I still have that constant anxiety looming that things will get bad again, but I’m trying my best to embrace it and turn it into a productive urgency. If inspiration strikes, I try not to talk myself out of it or think about all the ways I’m not ready to take it on…I act on it as soon as I can.

What are you currently working on?

To be honest, I’m currently taking a break! I’m trying to be more intentional about allowing myself to rest because I think rest is just as important as creating. I’m wary of burn out and so I try to work in ways that are equally fulfilling, but that look different than painting or drawing. I’m reading books I’ve been wanting to read, spending time with people I love, and quite literally resting. My experience with Lupus has also resulted in changes in my energy capacity and so I’m not able to do as much as I used to or keep pushing myself as hard as I was previously able to. This mindset is also about longevity for me; I’m prioritizing rest so that I can continue to make art for as long as possible.

What's your favorite color?

I really love anything in the orange family.

Closing thoughts? Anything we missed?

I’d just like to say thank you to all of my friends and family for continuing to encourage and support me.