Tanabe Prize Awarded to Ahmadzadegan and Jack

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Moozhan Ahmadzadegan, “one thing is certain and the rest is lies,” 2023, acrylic and gouache paint and UV screenprint mounted on pine plywood, 4' x 7'

The ninth annual Tanabe Prize for British Columbia Painters has been awarded to Moozhan Ahmadzadegan and Dr. Michelle Jack.

Administered by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Tanabe Prize is given to BC artists whose primary medium is painting.

Ahmadzadegan was chosen as this year's emerging artist and Jack was chosen as a mid-career artist.

Based in Kelowna, BC, Ahmadzadegan has a practice that encompasses painting, screen-printing, textiles, and installation, centred on themes of queer identity, Iranian diaspora and cultural in-betweenness. “His work involves examining traditional Iranian art forms such as Persian miniatures, patterns, rugs, architecture, and poetry, and reimagining them through a queer lens,” according to the news release. He holds a bachelor of fine arts from the University of British Columbia Okanagan. 

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Dr. Michelle Jack, “Sacred Bird Spirit,” 2022, mixed media on paper, 65i" x 65"

Based in Penticton, BC, Jack is a member of the Penticton Indian Band and her art looks at living land memories and Okanagan Indigenous culture. She holds a doctorate in American Studies from the Washington State University where she completed her doctoral work on the issues of the 49th Parallel and its impacts on the sqilxʷ/syilx (Okanagan) lands, family ties, language, and traditions. She also holds an master of fine arts in Photography from the University of Washington and a bachelor of fine arts from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Her work has been part of many exhibitions, including shows at the Penticton Art Gallery, Kelowna Art Gallery, and Methow Arts in Washington. She is an an instructor in the Fine Arts School at the En’Owkin Center in Penticton.

“Artists are selected for the Tanabe Prize by contemporary art curators who are connected to art museums and galleries in British Columbia. Selection is based on exceptional creativity coupled with a promise of future achievements. Names of the selectors are kept confidential. There is no application process for either the curators or artists,” according to the release.

Source: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

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