Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art presents the Vancouver premiere of the retrospective exhibition GEORGE CLUTESI: ḥašaḥʔap / ʔaapḥii / ʕc̓ik / ḥaaʔaksuqƛ / ʔiiḥmisʔap from January 20, 2024 – January 19, 2025. The exhibition is an exploration of the life and legacy of Clutesi, whose actions have left an indelible mark on the preservation and celebration of the Nuu-chah-nulth community’s cultural traditions and customs. Featuring an extensive collection of Clutesi’s artworks, the exhibition further honours his legacy through striking displays of archival photographs and news clippings of his varied achievements, a documentary film about his long-lasting impact, and a curated selection of artworks from contemporary Nuu-chah-nulth artists and scholars, inspired by Clutesi’s activism and scholarship. The name of the exhibition, written in the Tseshaht language, honours Clutesi’s many celebrated traits: ḥašaḥʔap (keep, protective) / ʔaapḥii (generous) / ʕac̓ik (talented) / ḥaaʔaksuqƛ (strong willed) / ʔiiḥmisʔap (treasure). A series of ancillary events will support the exhibition, including an opening celebration on Saturday, January 20, 2024, an artist panel discussion, workshops, a curatorial tour, and a book club event. For admission information and a full list of events and registration details, visit: billreidgallery.ca

Feature image: George Clutesi, Mask of Plenty, 1944 – Courtesy of the Royal BC Museum

Sunseok Ahn | Gabi Dao | Pendarvis Harshaw & Brendon Tauszik | Aaron Leon
Anthony Lepore | Diane Meyer | Alp Peker | Gloria Wong | Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez

On Time considers the ways in which contemporary lens-based artists have challenged the relationship between time and photography and the traditional notion that an image captures a single moment outside the temporal flow. The artists in this exhibition weave the concept of time into their works: playing with its perception, and considering its relationship to memory. These artists examine archives and bring together different points in history in ways that suggest the malleability of time.

Image: c. Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez

The exhibition “What On Earth” – Paintings by Lion Nie & Liu Maonian will grandly open on April 5, 2024, at the Vancouver Collection Space Art Gallery. The exhibition is hosted by the Vancouver Collection Space and organized by the Vancouver Collection Art, with Wu Tiehan serving as the curator.
Nie Jijun/Lion Nie, born in the 1970s, is an independent artist and curator. He resides in Beijing/Vancouver and is the director of the Beijing Hanjian Art Museum. Since childhood, he has had a passion for painting and photography and is a member of the China Construction Culture and Art Association. His works have been collected by numerous domestic and international corporate institutions and collectors. He studied art at Henan University and economics and management at Peking University. He is a member of the International and New York Photography Society. With 25 years of experience in brand planning and creative work and art collection, he was named one of China’s top ten brand planning experts in 2002 and published the personal painting collection “Relationships” in 2022.
Liu Maoning, born in 1965 in Huangling County, Shanxi Province, graduated from Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts in 1988 and was assigned to teach at Yan’an University the same year. He has been living in Beijing since 2007. From 2007 to 2023, he participated in more than twenty domestic and international group exhibitions.
Curator Wu Tiehan believes that the two artists attempt to answer questions about the ontology of life through their respective abstract painting languages. The famous philosopher Heidegger once proposed, “Solving the problem of existence should start with the existence of the being who has the problem of existence.” It is reasonable for artists to look at everything from the perspective of human beings. They use different artistic methods to express their inner cognition. It is better to say that the two artists, through their own choices, establish a relationship with existence and explore and comprehend the characteristics of human life.
Mr. Nie’s paintings explore the concept of overlaying in existence, emphasizing the complexity of life and the layered relationship of history. His works integrate the associations of society, history, and life and present ordered existence in a chaotic state through carefully crafted colours, lines, and compositions. The works reflect profound reflections on the associations of life and demonstrate the artist’s unique insights and exploration of the meaning of existence. Mr. Liu’s unique artistic concept views “controversy” as the core of the work. He believes that resolving the “controversy” on the canvas is equivalent to resolving personal cognitive contradictions requiring rational and complex thinking. He emphasizes the need to balance retention and elimination, rationality, and sensibility in the works. He uses food-grade paper and historical materials to express the “controversies” of different periods, expanding visual imagination. He believes mature artists should contemplate internal issues and present transcendent results through vision.
Viewing the abstract paintings of Mr. Nie and Mr. Liu, one can see that both possess highly creative thinking. They present the truth with sincerity, no longer confined to correspondence but allowing existence to reveal its original appearance through the artist as a person, making the world no longer live in confusion. They each seek and explore the boundaries of artistic existence in their contexts and inspire more people to think through their painting languages.

Alice and Henry are coming to grips with their lacklustre sex life. Time, kids, and stress—not to mention gravity—have taken their toll. In an effort to rekindle the magic in their 25-year marriage, they go on a naughty hotel retreat, equipped with a copy of Sex for Dummies. But they soon find that when the clothes come off, so do the gloves! This couple’s relatable, humorous, and inspiring escapade will touch audiences of all ages. Don’t miss your chance to see Vancouver playwright Michele Riml’s international hit play—now translated into 15 languages!

Image submitted by Arts Club Theatre