Category Archives: Seen About

This category features on and off campus works. Student artwork seen in the hallways, foyer, and other spaces of the FCCS building and around campus. Student works that are site-specific or in local galleries.

Departures: Bridging the Gap by Troy Teichrib

Departures: Bridging the Gap by Troy Teichrib: Boldly painted urban graphic abstraction that bridges artistic boundaries.

​Featuring new work by artist Troy Teichrib that highlights the spontaneous and raw nature of graffiti art, this body of work includes small to large mixed-media paintings, each a testament to Teichrib’s efforts in translating graffiti’s fleeting beauty and raw energy within the gallery’s structured confines.This methodical yet chaotic process of uncovering and reviving elements from dense chunks of accumulated graffiti is a meditation on ego, ownership, and the impermanence of art. By overlaying and then meticulously removing layers of his own work, he confronts the challenge of disassociating from the personal motifs and styles that have defined his artistic identity. This practice of revisiting buried history becomes a dialogue between creation and destruction.

Troy Teichrib is a mixed-media painter currently residing in the unceded and traditional territory of the syilx/ Okanagan people. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Alberta University of the Arts and is now a Master of Fine Arts candidate at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan. His work questions the practices of censoring street art, as he examines the ongoing tension between public expression and regulated spaces. His work aims to offer an authentic exploration of the visual and thematic complexities inherent in blending the worlds of graffiti and studio practice, inviting viewers to reconsider the value and significance of graffiti art within and beyond the gallery space.

Troy Teichrib is an MFA candidate at The University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus. This exhibition runs alongside Spiritual Growth: The Unapologetic Nude by Jessie Emilie, also an MFA candidate, from May 18th- July 14th 2024 at Lake Country Art Gallery.

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Spiritual Growth: The Unapologetic Nude by Jessie Emilie

Spiritual Growth: The Unapologetic Nude by Jessie Emilie: A compelling exploration of introspection through large-scale portraiture.

Exploring the impact of religious teachings on women’s bodies, embarking on a journey towards empowerment through painting. This exhibition challenges conventional perceptions of the female nude, reimagining it through a feminist perspective influenced by the healing essence of nature (Biophilia) and the acceptance of imperfection (Wabi-sabi). Historically, depictions of nudity in art have been dominated by male perspectives, relegating women to mere muses and objects for male expression. Over the past two years, a dedication to a series of paintings confronts and redefines the portrayal of the female nude, aiming to ignite conversations about breaking free from societal and religious constraints on female representation.

Jessie Emilie is a painter who currently resides in the unceded and traditional territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people. In 2022, she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at The Alberta University of the Arts. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus, and her relocation from Alberta to the Okanagan has given her the opportunity to pursue a deep studio practice within an academic setting.

Jessie Emilie’s work, rooted in personal experiences encompassing mental health, body image issues, religious trauma, spirituality, and nature, focuses on authentic and vulnerable depictions of nude figures. These figures are often set against domestic or natural scenes, accompanied by potted houseplants symbolizing spiritual growth. This thematic exploration challenges prevailing unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by media and confronts the constraints imposed by religious teachings concerning purity.

Through painting, Jessie navigates the complexities of these narratives, offering viewers insight into the intersectionality of identity, self-image, and societal expectations. Each artwork is a testament to resilience, advocating for self-acceptance and celebrating imperfection within the human experience.

 

Jessie Emilie is an MFA canditate at The University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus. This exhibition runs alongside Bridging the Gap by Troy Teichrib, also an MFA candidate, from May 18th- July 14th 2024 at Lake Country Art Gallery.

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CGish – Connor MacKinnon

Connor MacKinnon’s artistic practice operates through a framework of imagination, potential, and questioning. Examining the unique qualities in objects as specific markers of material culture, his work explores the physical and conceptual reconstruction of objects using generative algorithmic 3D modeling. Linking these algorithms and speculative framework is the desire and ability to create variability and multiplicity within a defined system which both respects our sense of familiarity with an object and disrupts many of the assumed and expected attributes associated with how that object is perceived. CGish itself has been an examination and investigation into his own relationship to shared authorship, artistic labour, and control in the creation of artwork that is in part computer generated.

While MacKinnon is currently experimenting with integrating A.I. into his practice in small ways the works present in this exhibition do not make use of any A.I. and instead are the output of generative parametric functions. These functions consist of a long series of instructions and restrictions that dictate the order and methodology of digital 3D construction. Their capacity to generate variability, multiplicity, and strangeness comes from their ability to accept variable input, whether that is from a physical artifact, digital geometry, or a purely numerical data set. Output as digital 3d models these forms must go through a process of digital fabrication or computer-aided manufacturing before they can exist in reality. In some cases, they can be directly 3d printed, others follow a process of molding and casting, and some require a more specific form of digital fabrication as in the case of Computers Generated (2024) which are welded steel forms created from patterns cut out on a CNC plasma cutter.

While much of his work is driven conceptually and designed digitally, balance and personal satisfaction are maintained through a physical and tangible making practice which strives to create a sense of harmony between learning, experimentation, intellectual gratification, aesthetic pleasure, and craftsmanship.

CGish by Connor MacKinnon will be on view in the Main Gallery from May 10 to June 22 2024.

 

Connor MacKinnon graduated in the Masters of Fine Arts Visual Art programme at the University of Victoria in 2022. He is now a Workshop and Studio Technician for the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBCO.

 

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Intimate performances on small stages about big issues.

Director Annie Furman
Mentor Denise Kenney

Toolbox Theatre invites you to step into a series of intimate performances about big issues on small stages. This week, we’re taking out our tools to construct stories about our relationship to climate change.

Featuring short plays written by: Nicolas Billon, Annie Furman, Mark Rigney
With performances by: Miriam Cummings, Ronan Fraser, and Amy Wang
And set design by: Annie Furman and Shauna Oddleifson

Performances:
Thursday, March 28, 1:00-3:00 pm
Admin Building foyer, UBC Okanagan

Saturday, March 30, 1:00-3:00 pm
Rotary Centre for the Arts (outside), 421 Cawston Ave, Kelowna

A Climate Change Theatre Action Project

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BAI BAI – Bengi Agcal

BAI BAI

3D-Animated Video Installation

‘Bai Bai” is an introspective 3D-animated multimedia video exhibition by Bengi Agcal that embodies the complexities of immigration, identity, and the pursuit of creative freedom. At the heart of the exhibition is the narrative of a mystical water tiger, a symbolic representation of Agcal’s own journey, depicted through a series of evocative videos and animations. These works explore the emotional and psychological stages of immigration, drawing upon Agcal’s experiences of moving from Turkey to Hong Kong and finally to Canada. The exhibition unfolds through the migration narrative of a water tiger capturing the shock of displacement, the anger and rejection of facing systemic barriers, and the eventual recovery and nostalgia for a lost home.

 

Each stage of the narrative is a testament to the emotional stages of immigration, represented through the tiger’s transformative journey from a utopian aquatic realm to the stark reality of a new world. The journey commences in a realm of dreams, where the tiger thrives in amidst endless waters, symbolizing purity, potential, and the comfort of home. Inspired by the traditional Turkish “hamam,” this stage evokes a sense of communal intimacy and cultural richness, reminiscent of Turkey’s thriving days, echoing the warmth and solidarity experienced in neighborhood baths. The tiger’s home is a world where water is not just an element but a way of life, inviting a reflection on the essence of belonging and the shared human experience of finding solace in one’s roots.

As the narrative unfolds, the tiger is abruptly uprooted, finding itself in an alien landscape inspired by Kelowna, which is characterized by industrial coldness and the daunting expanse of parking lots. This stage confronts the harsh realities of migration—bureaucratic hurdles, societal indifference, and the existential struggle of starting anew in a place that deems you an outsider. The stark contrast from the first stage to this phase of rejection and anger poignantly captures the emotional turmoil and resilience required to navigate the complexities of a new beginning.

 

In the final stage of the Tiger’s odyssey, is the gradual adaptation to its new environment, marked by moments of gratitude, resilience, and occasional nostalgia. As the tiger builds a life of comfort and stability, echoes of longing for the past linger—a testament to the enduring ties to home and the bittersweet nature of transformation. Through introspective reflections and vivid imaginings, the tiger navigates the delicate balance between embracing the present and yearning for the familiar, encapsulating the essence of the migrant experience in the digital age.

 

Bengi Agcal is a multimedia artist and researcher. She earned her BEng in Computer Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is currently pursuing her MFA alongside the NSERC CREATE Immersive Technologies program at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests and art practice include speculative fiction, participatory design, 3D rendering, digital sculpting, XR technologies, web computing, immersive technologies, and sustainability.

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UBCO Painting II – Before The Stones Were Broken

Before the Stones Were Broken is a series of oil paintings completed by 2nd year painting students at UBC Okanagan under the instruction of Connor Charlesworth.

Participating artists include Connor Charlesworth, Rain Doody, Mackenzie Fleetwood-Anderson, Meg Furlot, Talia Gagnon, Dawn Haywood, Neha Iyer, Sheilina John, Hailey Johnson, Madi May, Emily Mills, Phil Patrick, Sarah Prentice, Maya Taki, Amelia Vegt, Wenjing Wang, Peony Wong, and Bernice Yam.

Before the Stones Were Broken will be on view in the Members’ Gallery of the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art from March 15 – April 6 2024.

 

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Michaela Bridgemohan // Embalmed Funks

Michaela Bridgemohan is an interdisciplinary artist of Jamaican and Australian descent. She holds an MFA in Visual Arts from the University of British Columbia—Okanagan and received her BFA in Drawing (with Distinction) from the Alberta University of the Arts in 2017.

Bridgemohan’s exhibition embalmed funks will be on view in the Main Gallery of the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art from March 15 – April 27 2024.

 

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Hummingbird Spirits: Strength and Resilience

Based on the Hummingbird Spirits printmaking initiative originated by UBC Okanagan Gallery Director and Assistant Professor in Visual Arts Tania Willard, Hummingbird Spirits: Strength and Resilience explores a vast catalog of linocut prints all featuring a hummingbird motif. Each original linocut print was produced during the previous two year annual run of the ongoing Hummingbird Spirits project.

This exhibition is organized by the UBC Okanagan Gallery  and is on display in the Galleria at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, Feb. 29 to Apr. 22, 2024.

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Scattered Geometry

“Simply an exhibition presenting the work from the Advanced Sculpture class VISA322”

Featured Artists:

Jian Suniga

Fredrik Thacker

Ziv Wei

Ella Cottier

Simone King

CJ Ozee

Ruth Nfutxila

Wenjing Wang

Stephen Ikesaka

Asana Hughes

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The Journey II – MFA Group Show

We warmly extend an invitation for you to join us at “The Journey II”, the upcoming art exhibition held at the FINA Gallery on the Okanagan campus of the University of British Columbia. This event will display the innovative works of our first-year Master of Fine Arts students.

Exhibition Details:

– Venue: FINA Gallery, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus

– Closing reception: Thursday, 29th February at 2-4 PM

– Exhibition Duration: 23th February to 29th February

About the Exhibition “The Journey II”:

“The Journey II” continues the exploration initiated by “The Journey,” delving into the stories and experiences that shape human existence. Every artwork embodies the unique journey of its creator, weaving together a unified narrative aimed at captivating the audience with individual tales that illuminate the commonalities of the human experience.

Participating Artists:

Negar Baghlani

Robin Hodgson

Roland Samuel

Tara Yadollahi

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