Fiona Ackerman, “It’s Going to be the Sunny Side From Now On,” acrylic on canvas, 48" x 68" (photo courtesy of Gallery Jones)
Fiona Ackerman at Gallery Jones
Canadian abstract painter Fiona Ackerman’s new exhibition, Paper Trail, is on view at Gallery Jones in Vancouver from May 2 to June 1. It includes a video poem, Walking with Frank O’Hara.
“I paint my way back and forth, looking for my lane, refusing to stand in one place. It is not possible to separate engagement with the material world from personal interior space,” said Ackerman in her artist statement.
“My paper trail of paintings leads to one conclusion: all of art is an abstraction, exploring the very real experience of fleeting life.”
Based in Vancouver, B.C., Ackerman studied painting and drawing at Concordia University and completed her bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Her art has been exhibited in Canada, Europe, the UK, the USA and Asia. She was longlisted for the Sobey Art Award in 2015.
Jeff Thomas, “Indians on Tour. Buffalo Robe, Fountaine de Observatorie, Capri,” 2009, Paris, France (photo courtesy of the artist and Kenderdine Art Gallery)
Jeff Thomas at Kenderdine
Ottawa artist Jeff Thomas examines contemporary representations of Indigenous identity while at the same time considering the absence of images made by Indigenous people. His latest exhibition, I Refuse to be Invisible, is on view now at Kenderdine Art Gallery at the University of Saskatchewan through Sept. 27.
The show features three major bodies of photographic work that he has developed over the past four decades: The Bear Portraits, Indians on Tour and Strong Hearts: Powwow Portraits.
The opening reception takes place May 17 at 7 p.m.
Thomas is an independent curator and photographer who has been involved with major projects at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Woodlands Cultural Centre and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Born in Buffalo, New York, he moved to Canada in 1984. He is represented by Stephen Bulger Gallery. ■
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