"EYES OF SOCIETY - ReImagining Regionalism"
The Union Club of British Columbia
W. David Ward
''Cascadian Seduction'
2016 – Acrylic on Canvas – 28” x 21½”
“The title of this work is a play on the words 'Cascadian Subduction'; the geological land form atop which sits Haida Gwaii. There is magic in this land, a seductive force no less, which draws those who visit this place back; some, like myself, it never lets go.”
'ReEncounter - Spirit Free'
2016 – Acrylic on Canvas – 23” x 17”
“In 1988, when I was first in the Queen Charlotte Islands (as Haida Gwaii was known then), I stumbled across a fallen totem pole in an overgrown village site in South Moresby. This trip, in fact, was start of my career as an artists, and this painting recalls that pivotal, magical, moment (more on this on-going story to follow).”
Biography
A working artist for over 30 years, David is represented by Loch Gallery, Toronto. His paintings hang in the offices of The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and The Governor General of Canada; The Crown Collection; Manx National Gallery, Isle of Man, Provincial collections of Ontario and Newfoundland; the Gail Museum, in Seoul, South Korea, and in many other collections around the world. Over the past few years, he has dedicated increasingly more time to organizing art projects and curating: most recently, on the west coast, the 'Eyes Of Society' exhibition at the Robert Bateman Centre, Victoria – a project that now lives on in the 'Eyes of Society - Social Commentary Award', at The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair.
Artist Statement
“My connection to the west coast began in 1988, on my first kayak trip in Haida Gwaii. I came to the realization there that I must pursue my passion for art full time, and I have been a working artists ever since. For three decades, this place has been a constant source of inspiration. The wild, forested shoreline – a world between worlds – is an enchanted environment, where the spirit of the land still speaks to us; those it moves are compelled to share their stories, and their visions. This collection of paintings represents just a few moments from my time on the west coast – a story that continues to unfold.”
Anja Karisik
"In the Shade Of A Monolith"
2018 – Oil on Canvas – 30" x 40"
“The intertidal zone is a narrow strip of coastal ground that is alternately immersed in seawater and exposed to air, according to the rise and fall of the tide. It is a difficult environment for living things, being neither marine nor terrestrial, but something in between.”
"Shaped Through Time"
2018 – Oil on Canvas – 30” x 30”
"The Pesuta Awash"
2019 – Pastel on Paper – 18½” x 27”
Biography
Anja Karisik was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and immigrated to Toronto in 1996. She graduated with a specialist in art history from the University of Toronto, Trinity College. Her career in the art business started with Odon Wagner Gallery. For the past six years, she has worked for Loch Gallery in Toronto representing some of the country’s finest living artists while also dealing in Canadian historical and post-war artwork. Through all this time, Anja steadily painted and exhibited her pastels and oils, and recently committed herself to a more focused and dedicated practice inspired by our relationship with the natural world and the myriad creatures, including us humans, dependent on it for survival.
Artist Statement
“I forged a connection to the Canadian west coast with a recent trip to Haida Gwaii - a place where people, story and land are inseparable. My paintings transpose the beauty of ecological diversity found in old growth forests and along the intertidal zone. I paint landscapes of adaptation and resilience – geophysical spaces on the knife’s edge – home to countless creatures all coexisting interdependently and buzzing with a collective, living energy. Whether painting vegetables, seashells, forests or marine landscapes, I search for the innate character and perennial wisdom found in nature's roots, structures and relics.”
Gary Landon
''Victoria Harbour Lighthouse'
2019 – Acrylic on Russian Birch Panel – 18” x 36”
"Fractals"
2018 – Acrylic on Russian Birch Panel – 12” x 40”
"We are connected to everything around us by a system of design. A world where patterns transcend scale or mass and speak of a common connecting set of laws. When understanding that, we see that we are not separate from all that is around us. This work explores such patterns as they echo through a west coast beach at sunrise; it is hard to separate the smallest part of the scene from the largest.”
Biography
Gary Landon was born in the small town of Grimsby along the Niagara Escarpment and was raised in Caledonia Ontario. His love of nature was inspired in childhood exploring the wild spaces surrounding the Grand River. The curiosity and admiration for nature was taken indoors and became exemplified through paintings and drawings that resulted in many art awards beginning in childhood, including an award initiated by Pierre Trudeau to celebrate Canada’s centennial. This saw his art work travel across the country at the age of twelve. He also won the Ron Young Art Scholarship before attending Guelph University’s fine art program. Along with painting and sculpting, a passion for photography and wilderness adventure developed. Today Gary continues to be inspired by a genuine respect for nature and he is compelled to celebrate her seemingly endless connections through his work. Gary has donated his works to organizations such as Th e Haldimand-Norfolk Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO), The Stephen Lewis Foundation and Ducks Unlimited, and his paintings are to be found in numerous private collections.
Artist Statement
“I've always been curious about all that goes on around us in life; art, for me, facilitates a humble truth seeking and exploration of this curiosity. It is an examination of that which captures the soul's attention and why. It starts with an connection to a subject, an inspired push to explore, and ends with understanding that can only come by working that inspiration into art. This work can then be shared with many others as art, in the end, is a language we can all understand. It bridges class and culture and gives truth a chance. I feel privileged to have art as my vessel of investigation and can never see an end.”