Barbara Astman: Concealed/Revealed

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Barbara Astman, “Domestic Warrior #1A,” 2015

archival pigment print, 23.25 x 27.27 in. (courtesy of the Gallery)

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26th, 2025, 1:00 to 5:30 PM

Barbara Astman: Concealed/Revealed offers a comprehensive exploration of the artist’s career, spanning her formative works in the 1980s to her more recent projects. Astman, a Governor General’s Award recipient and pioneer in Canadian photography and lens-based art, has long been captivated by the expressive potential of imagery, often blending traditional photographic techniques with experimental approaches to reflect on societal issues, identity, and memory. Her work traverses the boundaries of self-representation, using images as both personal and cultural investigations that resonate with the viewer on a profound level. Each piece in this exhibition encapsulates Astman’s ability to manipulate the medium to produce intimate yet universally relevant narratives, showcasing her sensitivity to the emotional depth within everyday objects and scenes.

Astman’s innovative use of photography challenges conventional perceptions of lens-based art, imbuing her pieces with layered meaning and evoking complex dialogues around the human experience. As this exhibition unfolds across different periods of her practice, viewers will witness an artist who has consistently pushed the boundaries of visual language while maintaining a poetic sensibility. Astman’s ongoing exploration of the photograph as a reflective, and often transformative, tool celebrates her unparalleled influence in Canadian art.