Sandra Kessler: Moving Beyond

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Sandra Kessler, "Moving Beyond," 2021

Sandra Kessler: Moving Beyond

Sandra Kessler is an Okanagan based artist who works with a wide variety of mediums. In her exhibition, Moving Beyond, she focuses on a series of abstract and floral pieces that were influenced by the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

These acrylic and watercolour works were produced as a reaction to the evolving stages of the pandemic, from the initial release, restrictions, variants, and all the uncertainty that has followed. Working with abstract painting techniques, Kessler used mark making to reference these stages, such as red blobs symbolizing how the pandemic was blasted onto the world.

As we progressed through months of ups and downs and following protocol there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that things were actually improving. Then the variant appeared, complicating things further. Kessler responded to the constantly evolving situation through visual materials, but after time it seemed rather all consuming.

It seemed compelling to Kessler to turn her attention away from something that felt so unnatural, thus she looked towards nature. As the world came to terms with what was happening, Kessler grappled with the meaning of it all. Now focussed on depicting florals found in the gardens that surrounded her, she was able to direct her attention on the beauty around us we often neglect, and less on the uncertainty of the pandemic. The main theme that seemed to emerge was acknowledging the restorative beauty in the expression of flowers as a metaphor for the healing following this moment in history.

Sandra Kessler was born in Taber, Alberta and has lived and worked across Canada for many years before settling in the Okanagan. She has crafted her practice and interest in art history over the years, including studying at University of Ottawa. Kessler has been actively engaged with the local arts community and has exhibited across the Okanagan.