Tracing Paths

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Paul Robles, “Black Courtship,” 2018

cut butcher paper, 31” x 24.5”

Tracing Paths, curated by artist, writer and educator Steven Leyden Cochrane, brings together the intricate cut-paper work of Paul Robles and the curious ceramics of Lin Xu at the C2 Centre for Craft in Winnipeg.

Both artists have an interest in the overlooked and both, literally and figuratively, carve their own paths of meaning and making in the show. The works invite viewers to pause and play, while reflecting on their connections to the symbols and treasures on offer.

Robles, a Winnipeg-based artist born in the Philippines, is a master of his medium. His cut-paper pieces explore weighty themes and encourage viewers to look beyond the beauty of his skilled hand. 

These latest works – the Evangelists series – consider the visual history of explorations of the human subconscious. Evoking inkblot tests from psychology, these large, undulating and intricate pieces become darker the longer you sit with them.

Plumage and serpents spill out from the sides, grasping symbols of church and state. They read like family crests with mysterious warnings. Windows cut from black paper buckle and fold into each other like liquid.

Beyond the material exploration there’s an awareness that considers the current state of the world and spits it back with all its layered meanings, evoking beauty, despair and uncertainty, all at once.

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Lin Xu, “Untitled, Oasis Series,” 2015-2018

various clays (porcelain and stoneware), glazes, decals, lusters and gold pen, 8” x 9” x 5”

Xu, an artist and a professor born in Inner Mongolia, came to Manitoba in 2004 to set up the ceramics program in the visual and Aboriginal art department at Brandon University.

Her component of the show features work from her Oasis Series, a collection of delicate tangled bits and baubles made from blue and neutral porcelain and stoneware. She uses leftover ceramic scraps – shavings and slabs – combining them into potent sculptural wonders. Her works are small, but hold more than their weight in whimsy, taking viewers on dreamy journeys.

Pillows of blue with wormy beds of strings are folded in with waves of neutral clay. A tiny glass horse and a button with a bee illustration sit atop matte mounds of black clay. Xu is able to see the potential in discarded items and carefully launches them into a new life.

Cochrane’s attention to detail and thoughtful curatorial work make this exhibition a joy to explore, not only visually but also in writing. The curatorial statement – split into sections for the two artists and Cochrane himself – give ownership and space to everyone involved with the show.

The C2 Centre, an open and light-filled space, is only two years old. It has been a much-needed addition to the community, with not only a gallery space, but workshop rooms, a library and a members’ shop filled with lovely handmade pieces. ■

Tracing Paths: Paul Robles and Lin Xu is on view at the C2 Centre for Craft in Winnipeg from May 3 to June 28, 2019.