Category Archives: Creative Works Off Campus

Remember When…? by Bailey Ennig

Remember When…? by Bailey Ennig is a BFA graduate from the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan.

This exhibition in the RISE space at the Art @ KCT, a professional art exhibition within the lobby of the Kelowna Community Theatre, combines photographic work with poetry.

https://www.kelowna.ca/our-community/arts-culture-heritage/artist-opportunities/art-kct

One Thing Is Certain And The Rest Is Lies

One Thing Is Certain And The Rest Is Lies – by BFA graduate Moozhan Ahmadzadegan

One thing is certain and the rest is lies is a continued exploration on navigating queer culture as a person connected to the Iranian diaspora in so-called Canada. Using common formal visual elements of Persian miniatures such as intricate patterns, flat 2D compositions, and architectural elements as a reference point, I aim to bring these illustrations into a physical space through interdisciplinary practice. My intentions are to disrupt these traditional forms to establish an intimate space as a means of queering these spaces.

By queering spaces through imagery derived from traditional Persian miniatures, I critique the ongoing struggle for freedom in Iran. These historical artifacts often told poetic stories of royalty, love, and allegory through a gaze where it uplifted the powerful people who commissioned these works or the guilds that controlled the practice. This interests me as it resembles the historic and current exclusion of queer narratives across many areas around the world. Specifically, I relate this to the ways queer people are invalidated, erased, and willfully disregarded by the current government of Iran, the contemporary location from where much of this historic practice derives. By transforming the metaphorical architectural constructs that surround us, I assert queerness to counter dominant structures that seek to invalidate and erase queer narratives and consider the ongoing displacement of queer Iranians and other marginalized groups.

https://www.artscouncilofthecentralokanagan.com/onethingiscertain

 

I Died As A Mineral – Heraa Khan

UBCO MFA Exhibition held at the Lake Country Art Gallery.

Through my artistic practice, I delve into the natural world and our connection to it. The unbridled desire of humans to succeed and advance has disrupted the essential tenet of coexistence between the realms of humanity and the natural world, causing an imbalance that has led to ecological catastrophes and environmental calamities.

 

Using Indo-Persian miniature painting methods that originated in the 16th century as a starting point, my artistic practice involves re-envisioning these techniques with modern imagery and cross-cultural concerns to subvert conventional expectations. My work repurposes accounts of calamities and past events into significant and relatable visuals, blending the cultures of both the East and the West. I explore ideas expressed by Jalaluddin Rumi and Jeanette Armstrong in their poetry that advocate the importance of balance and equality of all living forms as a way to move forward towards a more harmonious and sustainable future.

 

By combining Eastern traditional painting techniques of using handmade materials such as wasli (paper), qalam (brush), and paints made from North American indigenous knowledge of natural pigments (Beam paints), with contemporary environmental concerns, the artwork conveys a multifaceted and intricate significance. The change in size from the expansive multi-screen digital animation to the smaller-scale paintings deepens our comprehension of the precarious interdependence between humans and the environment we inhabit.

Heraa Khan

Curator Essay

 

It has been approximately a year since I first met Nasim Pirhadi and Heraa Kahn, two talented artists immersed in the early stages of their MFA Program. Over time, I witnessed their artistic processes unfold, filled with inquiries, contemplations, and extensive research, gradually shaping their works into remarkable presentations.

For this year’s UBCO MFA Exhibition, the Lake Country Art Gallery has been divided into two distinct exhibition spaces. The first space showcases Heraa Kahn’s collection of miniature paintings, delicately arranged on the gallery walls, gently illuminated to highlight each individual piece. Through these paintings, Kahn invites viewers into a contemplative journey exploring themes of the natural world, human interactions, and the ensuing climate crisis. The exhibition, titled ‘I Died as a Mineral,’ draws inspiration from Rumi’s poem of the same name, perhaps symbolizing the cycle of life and incorporating materials that mirror this connection. Kahn’s intricate paintings serve as cautionary tales, offering viewers profound insights, meanings, and interpretations of Rumi’s poem.

While standing amidst Kahn’s exhibition, one’s attention is drawn to a small archway that leads to another space at the rear of the gallery. Passing through, visitors enter Nasim Pirhadi’s installation titled ‘Zoorkhaneh,’ which translates to ‘House of Strength’—a traditional gymnasium for men. Pirhadi has ingeniously transformed the room into an immersive installation, combining video, photography, sounds, scents, and exercise-related objects. The air is filled with the sweet fragrance of sugar and rose water. Traditionally reserved for men, the wooden equipment within the space is now open to all, as Pirhadi invites diverse participation in this exhibition. Notably, Pirhadi has recreated the apparatuses using sugar, imbuing the piece with a sense of heightened weight and transparency—an innovative reinterpretation of traditional beliefs and values concerning women’s rights, human rights, and societal roles.

For five days, I observed Heraa Kahn and Nasim Pirhadi meticulously navigate the gallery space, constructing walls, selecting paint colours, contemplating support structures, lighting arrangements, soundscapes, and strategic placement of their works. Every decision was made with utmost care, thoughtfulness, and thorough consideration, leaving no aspect to chance. Their unwavering commitment and hard work was admirable.

In these tumultuous times we find ourselves in, these exhibitions hold tremendous significance, encouraging us to stay informed about global affairs. The gallery has produced two exhibition catalogues, one for each artist, to showcase their thesis works. The presence of Heraa Kahn and Nasim Pirhadi’s art within the Lake Country Art Gallery is a true privilege for us—the gallery, the Lake Country community, and all those who have the opportunity to engage with their remarkable work.

Wanda Lock

Curator, Lake Country Art Gallery

 

ZOORKHANEH زورخانه – Nasim Pirhadi

UBCO MFA Exhibition held at the Lake Country Art Gallery.

Zoorkhaneh

The work I’m doing is actively confronting and exploring the social instability and how it relates to the ways Iranian women fight for their rights. One response of this confrontation is through my recreation of a zoorkhaneh within the gallery space. A zoorkhaneh is a traditional gym that only men are allowed to enter and participate in, and whose name translates to House of Strength. There is an old belief that women are not purified enough to enter these sacred places, and that the inherent corruption of womanhood makes them undeserving of titles like ‘hero’ or ‘champion’. By recreating a zoorkhaneh in a gallery space, I control and arrange, populated with the reimagined tools that define a new sort of zoorkhaneh.

In creating a zoorkhaneh in the gallery space, I challenged the exclusionary practices in zoorkhanehs by creating alternative space where people regardless of their gender can gather and engage in activities that are traditionally associated with these places. This project involves installation, video and photo performances that invite people who enter this environment to explore the cultural significance of these space, work out with the wooden tools and challenge patriarchal norms and values. By the space of zoorkhaneh, I want to challenge dominant narratives and create a more diverse and inclusive cultural landscape.

The entrance to the Zurkhaneh building is very low that passers-by have to bend over. This is a sign of humility and respect. This act serves as a powerful symbol of the values and beliefs embodied by the zoorkhaneh. In this show I created a short entrance that requires the audience to bend over and enter the zoorkhaneh space. The short entrance serves as a symbol of the egalitarian attitude applied to a specific category of citizens (men). By requiring all individuals, regardless of their status or position in society, to bow down in order to enter the space, the zoorkhaneh reinforces the idea that everyone is equal and should be treated with respect and dignity. In this show the entrance to the space serves as a threshold between the external world and the internal space. It is a point of transition, where individuals leave behind the chaos and distractions of the outside world and enter a space of intentionality and focus.

I utilized sugar to recreate the tools which are originally wooden. I sought to challenge the traditional masculinity in zoorkhaneh often associated with wooden tools by using sugar as a medium. This choice redefines what it means to be strong and powerful by subverting the idea that power can only be represented in a certain way (here certain material). I aimed to question and reflected on societal constructs of gender roles and expectations in a patriarchal system. As the sugar sculptures are much heavier than their wooden counterpart, they represent what it means to be powerful without succumbing to constricting societal standards.

Nasim Pirhadi

Meel: One of the tools used in zoorkhaneh is the Meel which at some point is the symbol of zoorkhaneh. The Meel is big chunk of hard wooden conical-shaped tool. It features a handle at one end.

Meel Greiftan (club exercise)

Working with the Meels is perhaps the most difficult part of the whole session. In fact, these devices are comparatively heavy and difficult to control, especially in motion during the Meel exercises. In addition, this exercise bout is slightly longer than the rest of the session. The procedure for starting this exercise is exactly identical to one of the push-up exercises; You can pick up the Meels and regain their places in the same order. In this exercise, you turn the Meels around your shoulders alternately and in a balance, continuous and circular fashion.

 

Sang

Is a rectangular piece of hard wood that has some similarities with the ancient shields used to ward off blows or missiles. The side of the rectangular that is moved near the floor throughout the exercise is gently arched. There is a hole at the central part of each Sang with a bar across it that is used as a hand grip. Around this opening is covered by a soft material to protect the hand. Sangs are used for weight training and one pair of them is necessary for the exercise.

Sang Greiftan (weight exercise): To do this exercise you can lie on your back on the floor with your legs straight (or crossed)

Push-up Board

“Takhteh-Shena: Is a plank of about 75 x 8 x 2 cm. It stands on two short lateral pedestals, each about 5cm. high and shoulder-width apart. The Takhteh-Shena is used for the different types of push up exercises particular to Varzesh-e-Bastani.

 

Curator Essay

 

It has been approximately a year since I first met Nasim Pirhadi and Heraa Kahn, two talented artists immersed in the early stages of their MFA Program. Over time, I witnessed their artistic processes unfold, filled with inquiries, contemplations, and extensive research, gradually shaping their works into remarkable presentations.

For this year’s UBCO MFA Exhibition, the Lake Country Art Gallery has been divided into two distinct exhibition spaces. The first space showcases Heraa Kahn’s collection of miniature paintings, delicately arranged on the gallery walls, gently illuminated to highlight each individual piece. Through these paintings, Kahn invites viewers into a contemplative journey exploring themes of the natural world, human interactions, and the ensuing climate crisis. The exhibition, titled ‘I Died as a Mineral,’ draws inspiration from Rumi’s poem of the same name, perhaps symbolizing the cycle of life and incorporating materials that mirror this connection. Kahn’s intricate paintings serve as cautionary tales, offering viewers profound insights, meanings, and interpretations of Rumi’s poem.

While standing amidst Kahn’s exhibition, one’s attention is drawn to a small archway that leads to another space at the rear of the gallery. Passing through, visitors enter Nasim Pirhadi’s installation titled ‘Zoorkhaneh,’ which translates to ‘House of Strength’—a traditional gymnasium for men. Pirhadi has ingeniously transformed the room into an immersive installation, combining video, photography, sounds, scents, and exercise-related objects. The air is filled with the sweet fragrance of sugar and rose water. Traditionally reserved for men, the wooden equipment within the space is now open to all, as Pirhadi invites diverse participation in this exhibition. Notably, Pirhadi has recreated the apparatuses using sugar, imbuing the piece with a sense of heightened weight and transparency—an innovative reinterpretation of traditional beliefs and values concerning women’s rights, human rights, and societal roles.

For five days, I observed Heraa Kahn and Nasim Pirhadi meticulously navigate the gallery space, constructing walls, selecting paint colours, contemplating support structures, lighting arrangements, soundscapes, and strategic placement of their works. Every decision was made with utmost care, thoughtfulness, and thorough consideration, leaving no aspect to chance. Their unwavering commitment and hard work was admirable.

In these tumultuous times we find ourselves in, these exhibitions hold tremendous significance, encouraging us to stay informed about global affairs. The gallery has produced two exhibition catalogues, one for each artist, to showcase their thesis works. The presence of Heraa Kahn and Nasim Pirhadi’s art within the Lake Country Art Gallery is a true privilege for us—the gallery, the Lake Country community, and all those who have the opportunity to engage with their remarkable work.

 

 

Wanda Lock

Curator, Lake Country Art Gallery

 

Flowing to Unsettle – work by Ph.D. candidate Yujie Gao

Gao Yujie is an interdisciplinary media artist and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia. Her generative participatory performance work studies the materiality of duration and explores the elasticity of space and time in rule-based interactive environments.

Learn more about Gao’s work on her website.

 

Artist Statement:

Unsettling is home,
life is improvisation,
the present is not future enough to live with.

Flowing to Unsettle invites participants to explore the elasticity of experiential time through a durational performance that takes place over six weeks in the Project Gallery at the Alternator.

As a Chinese media artist, performer, and researcher working in Canada, Gao Yujie uses time as a primary artistic material. Through performative actions such as drawing with different timeframes, her work delves into the essence of experiential temporality, both physically, digitally, and interculturally, examining how it can be stretched, compressed, and reconfigured in ways that challenge our taken-for-granted notion of time. Her research focuses on how performative computational art can inhabit and evoke different sensations of time, and how we can collectively hold space while experiencing individualized temporal perceptions. The central ideas are the concept of flow and a sense of wandering in relation to time and how these ‘states of being’ affect our perceptions.

Flowing to Unsettle is the final phase of a PhD research-creation project at UBC Okanagan initiated in 2020. In the previous phases Yujie has performed in a total of 72 livestreams, repeatedly implementing the same improvisation prompt ‘fill a canvas from empty to full’ with variables like duration, materials, platforms, and scales. For the first time ever, through her six-week-long performance at the Alternator, Yujie will use the exhibition space as her canvas, performing every day, collaborating with a variety of technologies and inviting participants to engage with their own temporal perceptions in an embodied experience where they are encouraged to slow down, reflect, and connect with the environment. The process of being – including thinking, wandering, playing, making, failing, problem-solving, and reflecting – forms the ‘whole’ of the work. The work itself is in the process. The performance will be broadcasted and recorded. By performing extensively for six weeks, she is also questioning what defines the boundaries between art time, machine time and life time and how they intertwine with each other.

The subthemes explored in Flowing to Unsettle include accumulation and decay, boredom and freedom, repetition and variation, rules and autonomy, endurance and intuition and how each aspect shapes our time perspective. By creating an open-ended live setting, Yujie invites multiple perceptions of time to coexist and foster meaningful shared experiences that celebrate uniqueness and differences. In doing so, she hopes to open up new possibilities for artistic expression of understanding and relating to time and to deliver this message for the audience:

“Take your time.”

Sofie Lovelady // What’s Mine Is Yours

Sofie Lovelady is a British Columbia-born artist and recent BFA graduate from UBC Okanagan.

In this work, Lovelady amalgamate found images and text to express her experience growing up in a digital age that exploits the  female bodies through imagery.

What’s Mine is Yours will be on view in the Alternator’s Members’ Gallery from February 24 – March 18, 2023.

421 Cawston Avenue (unit 103)Kelowna, BC

Diapositive – Installation by Julia Pearson

This work by Julia Pearson is being showcased in the Kelowna Art Gallery’s glass gallery window space. It brings together photography, serigraphy, and installation to create multiple explorations of self-portraiture.

Julia is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the University of British Columbia.

This work will be on display at 1315 Water Street, Kelowna, BC until July 2023.

We Are Countless – Rehan Yazdani and UBC MFA student Nasir Pirhadi

Nasim Pirhadi is a multi-medium artist and current MFA candidate at UBC Okanagan.

As part of this two person exhibit, Nasim explores the current political discourse of what it means to be an Iranian woman both in a diasporic sense and as through lived experience. This important work includes a video addressing misogynist fears of traditional spaces and a painted textile representing protestors on the streets in Iran who are fighting for the lives of women and girls.

It is on view at the Kelowna Art Gallery from January 21 to April 16, 2023

 

 

 

The Distance of the Sun – work by Connor Charlesworth

The Distance of the Sun is a series of five vertical painted diptychs. The work was conceived after a summer art residency inLos Angeles in which I was struck by the height and stability of these thin, spindly trees. Upon returning home to Kelowna, my paint pots in my studio had dried from the summer heat leaving various circular paint skins. I harvested these circular colourful disks and applied them to these panels in the place of the sun. They are sandwiched to the panels with rare earth magnets, presenting the work with a kind of charge.

Conceptually, this work deals with our relationship to our current climate moment. I have consciously distorted the sense of space by placing the sun and various “cloud-like” shapes in front of these tree-like forms. Typically, we know the sun and clouds as backdrops to the landscape. My line of inquiry with this work poses the questions “what would the world look like with that figure-ground relationship distorted, and what value is there in imagining this? I am interested in the potential of presenting these alternative realities as ways of familiarizing ourselves with possible futures. In my work, I try to balance these concepts with allowing the painting to dictate its own outcome and maintain its own authority.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Connor Charlesworth is visual arts instructor, in UBC Okanagan’s Creative Studies Department.

A central aspect of Charlesworth’s work considers the nature of painting and representation. He is interested in taking things that are familiar, and challenging that familiarity through the process of painting. This epistemological approach provides ample space for him to pose questions about the nature of perception; how we understand images, objects, and things. Most recently, Charlesworth has been researching this in relation to the landscape. His appreciation for nature stems from a youth spent birdwatching with his brother, and plein-air painting with his father.

Rylan Broadbent // Behind My Mask, I Am Secure

Behind My Mask, I Am Secure is an exhibition by UBCO MFA Alumni Rylan Broadbent

This exhibition was shown at the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art (421 Cawston Avenue (unit 103) in Kelowna, BC

Rylan Broadbent is a sculptor, designer, and fabricator, who resides and works out of the North Okanagan. Employing an array of techniques, ranging from traditional to digital, he is primarily interested in examining the interconnected relationships between object, form, material, and meaning.

Objects, like images and language, can hold information; they are utilitarian in their function and also symbols that reference bodies of meaning. And just as physical forms can be modified, so too can the semiotic attachments. Context can be skewed, shifting definitions, and complicating the interpretation. The objects he selects often speak towards notions of masculine identity, relationship to violence, and social fragmentation.

for more information: https://www.alternatorcentre.com/events/behind-my-mask-i-am-secure-rylan-broadbent