The Kudos VI group exhibition is currently taking place at Canadian Sculpture Centre’s newest location at 19 Mill Street within the Distillery District. This year’s show continues the tradition of excellence of the longstanding KUDOS series and showcases a total of 33 latest works by 17 members.
An inside-out view of the gallery space. Photo: Kexin Wu
The artworks explore a variety of themes from various sources. The inspiration for artistic creation could be as grand and aspiring as the artist’s ultimate deliberation of social history, like in Bastien Martel’s Lassitude, that evokes thinking of social class. It could be delicate and emotional like Janine Lindgren’s La Petite Chatelaine depicting the artist’s unconditional love for her beloved child.
Bastien Martel explaining his work, Lassitude, steel. Photo: Kexin Wu
Janine Lindgren in front of La Petite Chatelaine, plaster, wood. Photo: Kexin Wu
While Yeon-Tak Chang’s stone sculptures entails his spiritual exploration of the relationship between man and nature, J. Mac’s Inner Strength challenges its viewers to reflect on the potential strength of oneself.
J. Mac and her sculpture, Inner Strength, mixed media. Photo: Kexin Wu
Judi Michelle Young / Tsui Yiin, president of the Sculptors Society of Canada also showcases one of her ready-mades Searching… which specifically meant to reveal the history associated with first generation Chinese Canadians.
Judi Michelle Young / Tsui Yiin, Searching…, mixed-media. Photo: Kexin Wu
Despite indication of manifold interests, the 33 pieces of artworks also encompass an utter diversity of materials including rare marble types, bronze, steel, drystone plaster cast, terra cotta, clay, plaster, wood, ceramic, books, rust patina, cement, rust patina, LED, resin and mirrored acrylic. To a certain degree, the final modality of a sculpture is dependent on the approach that the sculptor chooses to interact with his or her chosen material.
Peter Shoebridge with his Trishanna, ceramic. Photo: Kexin Wu
Barbara Fletcher and View From Within, bronze, mirror. Photo: Kexin Wu
Saulius Jaskus with Iona, terra cotta (left) & Reflections, drystone plaster cast (right). Photo: Kexin Wu
Italian High Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo once said: “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Like-mind Artist Yeon-Tak Chang describes his creative process as the following: “At the beginning of my creative process, I humbly stand in front of the stone with few detailed sketches or models. There is an inexplicable but intuitive urging that wells deep within me; a sense of longing and anticipation that something would surely appear or be freed if I continue to have this conversation with the stone.”
Yeon-Tak Chang with Elapse (left) & Journey I, (right) both black Belgium marble. Photo: Kexin Wu
A special room of the gallery space was particularly dedicated to the presentation of several light sculptures coinciding with this year’s Festival of Light in the Distillery District which truly adds an unconventional hue to the overall momentum of the show.
W. W. Hung, Indy Grab, LED, resin, mirrored acrylic. Photo: the artist
Sergey Ragozin, Power House, mixed-media, LED. Courtesy of Canadian Sculpture Centre
Artists at the openings of the exhibition all appeared to be pleased with the new space that the Canadian Sculpture Centre relocated in. With the enchantment of both natural daylight and thoughtfully arranged indoor lighting, all the art pieces get to be presented in their best appearance to their viewers.
Kexin Wu
* Featured artists: Yeon-Tak Chang, John Clinton, Barbara Fletcher, Camie Geary-Martin, Karen Stoskopf Harding, Saulius Jaskus, Marlene Kawalez, Won Lee, Janine Lindgren, J. Mac, Bastien Martel, Peter Shoebridge, Dina Torrans, Peter Wirun, W. W. Hung, Sergrey Ragozin and Judi Michelle Young.
*Exhibition information: January 11 – March 1, 2020, Canadian Sculpture Centre, 19 Mill Street, Distillery District. Gallery hours: Mon – Sat 11am – 6pm, Sun 12 – 5pm.