Pia Metni
Interview & Photography / Catherine Bernier
On a foggy May afternoon, I made my way to the beach in front of the cabin to meet artist-in-residence Pia Metni for her portrait session. Standing gracefully with her feet rooted in the sand, the visual artist moved with the rhythm of the sea breeze. Her movements embodied the interplay of line, space, and stillness—an echo of the themes found in her creations.
Metni's journey began amidst the tumult of the Lebanese civil war and the loss of her father, prompting her mother to return to Montreal with Pia at a young age. During her formative years, she immersed herself in the worlds of television and theatre, shaping her artistic instincts. Concurrently, she pursued a career in territorial management within orthopeadics while also studying theatre at the Lee Strasberg Institute in NYC & LA.
Pia currently lives and works in Montreal. Her work invites reflection on identity, societal belonging, duality, and the search for meaning, expressed through a geometric vocabulary infused with narrative elements rooted in existentialism. By presenting a complex rhetoric through the stimulating yet restrained tension of minimalist forms, she encourages meditative contemplation and a deeper understanding of one’s own experience.
After spending a week immersed in the tranquility of the cabin and its natural surroundings, Pia takes a moment to reflect on her residency experience.
What were your intentions for the residency, and how did it go?
Amidst the chaos of daily responsibilities, I needed to slow down—to sit outside for long hours, pondering existential questions and embracing stillness. I sought auditory calm, a pause to be with myself, and to find sufficiency in very little. I also wanted to play with my tools and mediums without expectation of outcome. Intending to hear myself think and engage in a deeper dialogue with my work.
I needed to slow down—to sit outside for long hours, pondering existential questions and embracing stillness. I sought auditory calm, a pause to be with myself, and to find sufficiency in very little.
- Pia
Would you recommend this art residency to other artists and why?
It's of such importance for creatives to slow down and listen to sustain their craft. How perfect to do it in a tiny well-put house by the sea, witnessing nature and immersing yourself in your experience.
Follow Pia Metni / @pia_metni_art
Portraits by Catherine Bernier / @cath.be
