7 X 7 Macedonian and Canadian Graphic Artists

One of the unique things about the varied media of printmaking is that print artists tend to work in multiples and they tend to work on paper (or a paper-like substrate). These two characteristics open up a great many opportunities for exchange and exhibition. Works made in multiple could, literally, be exhibited in different exhibitions at the farthest reaches of the globe at the same time. And, being on paper, those works are relatively easy to ship from one location to another. In that spirit, a long history of international printmaking exchanges and exhibitions have been established. As a result, there is an extremely open dialogue between artists practicing in very different geographies. The exhibition 7 X 7 Macedonian and Canadian Graphic Artists was conceived with that in mind.

Both Canada and Macedonia have played significant roles in the nurturing of contemporary printmaking. The International Graphic Triennial in Bitola and the newly established International Biennial of Miniature Graphics and Drawings have, over the last thirty years brought the work of over 5000 print artists to the Balkan region. And, the three long-standing international print exhibitions in Canada, the Biennnale Internationale d’Estampe Contemporaine de Trois-Rivieres; the Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition (Vancouver); and the Okanagan Print Triennial (Kelowna and Vernon) have similarly brought the work of contemporary world-class artists to this country.

The works in 7 X 7 have already been exhibited in Bitola, Macedonia at the Cultural and Informative Center and have travelled across Canada for presentations and panel discussions in Halifax, Montreal and Toronto before landing for a final exhibition at UBC Okanagan’s FINA Gallery. It is perhaps fitting that the 7 X 7 exhibition began in Bitola and is concluding in Kelowna – both are sites of significant international print exhibitions.

In his catalogue essay for this exchange exhibition, Besant poses a question about “whether there might be particular collective identities emerge from either group” of artists. Contemplating that query is something left to the individual viewers but the opportunity to see these works and to consider the broader implications of exchange between international artists remains extremely valuable in the contemporary art world.

Artist represented in 7 X 7 are:

Segej Andreevski Macedonia

Bonnie Baxter Canada

Derek Michael Besant Canada

Trajce Blazevski Macedonia

Atanas Botev Macedonia

Mark Bovey Canada

Sean Caulfield Canada

Briar Craig Canada

Miroslava Cvetovikj Macedonia

Ladislav Cvetkovski Macedonia

Vlado Goreski Macedonia