From the Editor

June 5, 2023

9:30 PM

Western Canada's art magazine since 2002

Portia Priegert

From the Editor

Two artists featured in this issue – Rajni Perera and Sadia Fakih – make fascinating works depicting strong and vibrant women. Their complex visual languages are influenced by their South Asian heritage, as well as myriad other sources.

For Perera, a Toronto artist born in Sri Lanka, those influences include science fiction, Indian miniature painting and medieval armour, all in evidence in her nationally touring exhibition, Futures, on view in Ottawa after its launch in November at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection near Toronto.

Meanwhile, Sadia Fakih, an emerging Calgary artist with roots in Pakistan, presents works also influenced by the miniature painting tradition, both Persian and Indian, as well as magic, mythology and surrealism. Her first solo show, Mythologies of the Interspace, is at VivianeArt in Calgary until July 9.

It’s wonderful to see artists of South Asian heritage gaining traction in an art world that too often has overlooked the contributions of women, particularly those from diverse backgrounds.

Along with addressing equity and diversity issues, another growing focus at galleries these days is work that responds to the critical state of the natural environment – little wonder given the dramatic shifts we are seeing due to the climate crisis, including the shocking wildfires across Canada this spring.

Two articles in this issue of Galleries West look at the forest. We give a thumbs up to an unusual show in Victoria, Symbiosis, which explores the important role fungi play in forest ecosystems, as well as a solo show in Calgary by Gwen MacGregor, whose quirky work is rooted in her family history in the logging industry.

This issue’s roster also includes a Vancouver show by Abraham Oghobase, a Toronto artist by way of Nigeria, who considers mining practices and Africa’s colonial history, and an Edmonton show by Uii Savage, whose augmented-reality exhibition, Celestial Passage, ponders the colonization of space.

On the news front, the rumour mill is working overtime in Ottawa, where Angela Cassie, the interim director of the National Gallery of Canada, departs this week. We are hearing buzz about an imminent announcement of a new director. We were also saddened to learn of the death of Dennis Reid, a former chief curator of the Art Gallery of Ontario. His book, A Concise History of Canadian Painting, has been used by generations of art history students.

Looking ahead, we are working on stories about Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill’s show about motherhood, a touring group show that explores common threads in Indigenous art from the Arctic to the Amazon, and Doug Maclean’s popular semi-annual roundup of the season’s top art auctions.

Until next time,