Each year, we commission an artist to design the festival artwork to reflect both Celtic mythology and what CelticFest represents.
We are delighted to unveil the Celtic Tree of Life artwork for the Edgewater Casino CelticFest 2008, created by Ovi of Intense Graphix. Ovidio, aka Ovi, is a Native of Naples Italy with a passion for music and the arts who moved to Canada in the early 1980’s. After some years of playing as a drummer with various bands, he launched Intense Graphix to pursue a career in the commercial arts field. In his 18 years as a commercial artist, Ovi has been involved in the creation of a multitude of diverse visual projects ranging from the creation of original artwork for local Festivals and events to Airbrushing Custom themed Environments and Murals for local and international clients.
Ovi prides himself in his ability and desire to go beyond his client’s artistic expectations through creativity and his passion for the arts. Like in the beginning years of his career, he views each commissioned art piece as an opportunity to develop new skills and expand his own creative horizons.
The Tree of Life is an esoteric philosophy common to many cultures and mythologies. The Ancients envisioned the entire cosmos in the form of a tree whose roots grow deep in the ground, branches reaching high into the heavens. Also known as the World Tree, the primal Mother Tree was regarded as all-nourishing, all-giving, involved in the creation of the universe and the origin of the first man and Woman. The Celtic Tree of Life is one of the most popular and enduring motifs of Celtic Art, found both on Northumbrian and Celtic crosses and on illuminated manuscripts. Portrayed variously as the Golden Bough, vine, or mistletoe, the interlacing branches/roots symbolize the Celtic belief in the Continuity of Life.
The Celtic tree also represents endurance, success and longevity.
The artwork developed for this year’s festival is an original, contemporary design, not based on any ancient or modern Celtic pattern, however, it has been developed as a modern Celtic Folk motif to reflect the interconnection of all living things.