Montréal-based illustrator Myriam Wares has spent her entire life crafting a world of her own, full of, as she explains it, “labyrinthine greenery, architectural anomalies, strange characters and unlikely monuments,” she says. “My viewers can walk into a dreamlike world where the laws of physics don’t apply and where imagination and self-expression run free.” After a foray into studying fine art after high school, Wares decided her figurative approach felt more suited for commercial illustration, and upon graduating from Dawson College’s illustration program and working in a stint as an in-house illustrator for a Montréal clothing brand, she forged her own path into freelancing in 2019. It was during the pandemic that she returned to the Université de Montréal for further studies in art history. “I’d say this has been my single greatest source of inspiration, notably the works of Renaissance artists from the Netherlands and Italy, medieval manuscripts and icon art, and baroque art and architecture,” Wares says. “It’s not just the aesthetic of these works that inspires me but also the mythology. I find it fascinating how stories people told thousands of years ago still feel relevant today. I try to recycle these myths and layer them with contemporary styles and ideas.” The mythology she weaves into her work, along with a healthy dose of contemporary surrealism, have created a characteristic air of mystery that inspires viewers to uncover the meanings hidden within. “I still like to let people wonder about what they’re looking at, rather than spoon-feeding every intended meaning,” Wares explains. “I love hearing people’s reading of my work, as they often reveal little parts of themselves in the process.”