Corey Bulpitt: Supernova

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Corey Bulpitt, "Love," 2020

powder-coated aluminum, 40 1/2" x 40”

Fazakas Gallery is honoured to present Supernova, an online solo exhibition of new works by Corey Bulpitt. The exhibition was organized to coincide with the release of issue 3.40 of The Capilano Review, which features a special portfolio celebrating Kwakwaka’wakw artist and activist Chief Beau Dick. Due to COVID-19, we were unable to proceed with the initially planned joint exhibition and release party, but we are delighted to be able to share the exhibition online now.

Following social distancing guidelines together with Corey Bulpitt, we will host the exhibition opening live on the gallery’s Instagram (@fazakasgallery) on Thursday, July 9th at 7:00 pm PST. 

As a star in the galaxy reaches the end of its life, it erupts and expels stellar materials into space forming a luminous shockwave that is known as a supernova. From this celestial phenomenon, new stars are born. 

Borrowing its title from this cosmic event, Supernova features new and impactful works from multi-disciplinary Haida artist Corey Bulpitt. From large-scale sculptures referencing iconic pop art to paintings harnessing the political power of graffiti and murals, Corey’s work represents the continuity of culture—the embrace and navigation of traditional stories and techniques in Northwest Coast art as situated in contemporary urban contexts.

Presented alongside these are Corey’s personal collection of works by his mentor and friend, the late Kwakwaka'wakw carver Chief Beau Dick (1955-2017)—the star whose bright burst of creative energy, affected generations of young artists. The inclusion of several Beau Dick pieces in Supernova acts as an homage to Beau’s creative legacy on the Northwest Coast, and his continuous presence in the hearts and minds of his friends and the artistic community alike. As evidenced through his own practice, with his animated and striking sense of the here-and-now, Corey Bulpitt’s work carries that same lasting luminosity for carvers and artists to come.

Corey BulpittAlso known as Taakeit Aaya or “Gifted Carver” by the Haida of the Naikun Raven clan, Corey Bulpitt was born in Prince Rupert BC. He is the great-great grandson of famed artist Charles Edenshaw (1839-1920) and prolific argillite carver Louis Collison (1881-1970). Bulpitt is an avid painter, jeweller, and wood and argillite carver who has enjoyed exploring many different mediums such as spray paint, which he used to create large-scale paintings involving urban youth in Vancouver. As a member of the newly emerged Beat Nation Live arts collective, Corey’s contemporary graffiti art pieces can be seen in many museums, festivals, and urban landscapes. Notably, Bulpitt assisted in crafting a 30’ pole with Klatle Bhi for the 2010 Winter Olympics, as well as a performance art project for the Sydney Biennale. In 2017, he received the BC Creative Achievement Award for First Nations Art for Artistic Excellence in both traditional and contemporary visual art.