About this Installation
In our collaborative practice, we explore how cultures intersect and diverge through visual storytelling. Drawing from the deep wells of art and craft histories as well as our own cultural backgrounds, our work examines the intricacies of cross-cultural communication. We engage with classical ceramic forms, ornamental elements and popular culture, blending these references with a painterly application of glaze to create a visually layered narrative that is both personal and shared.
Our practice delves into ceramics as a narrative medium, one that allows for both cohesion and dissonance between different cultural references. Each piece invites viewers to encounter moments of harmony as well as tension, as we juxtapose fragments drawn from abstract painting, cartoons, traditional still-life painting and historical ceramics. These elements come together in compositions that do not tell a single, linear story but instead evoke themes of time, materiality and human nature. Our approach allows us to re-contextualize the fragments we borrow from the past, layering meanings while respecting the variety inherent in our cultural references.
By merging our individual perspectives and shared experiences, we aim to create ceramics that serve as vessels of both tradition and innovation. Our work is not about achieving a single message but rather about engaging with the ongoing dialogue between cultures and artistic forms. Through this process, we seek to honour the past while creating space for new interpretations, contributing to a diverse vision that speaks to the complexities of identity and cultural exchange.
About the Mini Gallery Program
The Northeast Mini Galleries Public Art Program includes 10 mini galleries, located at different community associations. The mini galleries feature 30 artists throughout the year — each exhibition showcases 10 local artists, selected by a local curator, for a four-month period.
The Northeast Mini Galleries program started in 2023 as part of the City of Calgary’s Northeast Public Art Initiative which brings several public art projects to Calgary’s northeast communities, supports local artists, enhances northeast neighbourhoods and reflects the people who live in the communities where the art will be located.
This initiative aims to build amazing spaces for people to come together and provides opportunities for local artists to showcase their talent while celebrating the diversity of artforms, people and cultures represented in northeast Calgary.
Information about the current exhibition and artwork featured in this gallery can be found on Calgary Arts Development's website.