The trio of Kimberly Kiel, Carolyn Houg and William Liao brings diversity of media and culture to The Avenue Gallery in the heart of Oak Bay this month.
Having always had a love for creating things – for music, for dance – Kiel found one of her greatest passions when she applied paintbrush to canvas for the first time. Kiel continues to find as much joy in the process as the end product. A full-time artist for 20 years, she expresses herself through a wide variety of subject matter, including landscapes and treescapes, figure pieces and florals.
“For me, creating art is a passion. A celebration of the joy and colour to be found in life,” she said.
Houg is a Vancouver Island clay sculptor whose playful pieces celebrate human interconnectedness with nature and each other.
“My sculptures are playful and quirky and often place the subjects in unlikely situations,” Houg said in a statement. “Birds are riding when they can fly; polar bears sailing when they can swim. Many of my characters act against their usual instincts – all are meant to have us pause and consider all we have in common with our fellow creatures.”
After studying Fine Arts at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal and the University of Alberta in Edmonton, she worked in oils, acrylic, water media monoprinting, concrete and, most recently, clay.
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Houg’s clay animals and figures are lighthearted explorations of posture and personality.
“My goal is to make people smile and feel a caring connection with the animals and birds that surround us and those that are endangered in other parts of the world.”
Houg has participated in many solo and group gallery exhibitions in B.C. and Alberta. In 2015, she won Best 3D Award at the Sidney Fine Art Show. In 2017, Houg won the Award of Excellence at the Sooke Fine Arts Show.
Artistic inspiration began at an early age for Liao. Growing up in Beijing, China, he was surrounded by classical Chinese culture as well as new European art. These are the influences which continue to define and inspire his work today. With seven years of professional training, he graduated from Beijing Normal University, with a bachelor of arts degree in fine arts.
Specializing in florals, landscapes and figurative works, Liao’s paintings combine traditional mediums with modern techniques, providing his audience with another dimension of experience.
Learn more at theavenuegallery.com.
Much-anticipated new paintings by Cortes Island-based artist Naomi Cairns take centre stage at West End Gallery on Broad Street this month.
Cairns was born on Vancouver Island in 1984 and became interested in art at an early age. She attended what was then called Malaspina University-College in Nanaimo and L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in France before obtaining her BFA from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in 2007. A recipient of many prestigious awards, in 2002 she became the youngest recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award and has one of her paintings in the permanent collection of the National War Museum in Ottawa.
The time Cairns spends in nature, whether hiking or on and around the water, is an endless source of inspiration. Working predominately on large-scale canvases, she delights in exploring the interactions of light and composition.
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Visit westendgalleryltd.com for more.
Josh Wallace: Midnight Walk makes Madrona’s month in Victoria.
Josh Wallace’s paintings capture the viewer’s attention through a sense of mystery the artist suggests. By composing cinematic snapshots of larger narratives, Wallace is able to invite the viewer into these suggestive and personal scenes. Images of real and imagined places, memories of late-night adventures mixed with portraits of the people around him show a world of youthful curiosity and freedom. This will be the artist’s first major solo exhibition. Wallace is a graduate of University of Victoria’s fine arts program and has been gaining national attention for his work.
Midnight Walk opens with a reception with the artist on April 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. and runs through April 13.
Visit madronagallery.com for more.
The Victoria Arts Council Gallery presents Avis Rasmussen in The View From Here opening April 15 with a reception from 3 to 5 p.m.
Rasmussen relies on a variety of mediums drawing, painting, printmaking and narrative poetry.
“My art accompanies me every day of my life while I enjoy family, friends, teaching or travelling,” she said.
Made up of more than 100 artworks that chronicle her journey over six decades, the retrospective begins with an early watercolour of Beacon Hill Park.
“I believe visitors will be impressed by the depth and variety of artwork presented in this survey exhibition. The View From Here demonstrates how Avis has consistently engaged with her surroundings to make artwork,” said Kegan McFadden, VAC’s executive director and curator.
The View From Here runs April 12 to May 28.
Visit artopenings.ca for more.
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