A Sobey-nominated artist will be featured in a solo exhibit at the ACT Art Gallery.
Manuel Axel Strain, a two-spirit artist from the Musqueam, Simpcw, and Syilx peoples, will be featured in a show called Waking Ground. The exhibition is the fourth of five planned exhibits for the 2023/24 season of visual arts.
Strain received a long-list nomination for the 2022 Sobey Art Award, which, according to the ACT Art Gallery, is one of the most generous prizes for contemporary artists from around the world, that is organized and presented by the National Gallery of Canada.
Waking Ground will contain a variety of mediums including: painting, photography, sculpture, installation, and video. The exhibit will explore the intertwined relationships between land, family, and the artist, as many of Strain’s works are produced in collaboration with their relatives.
The exhibition is a celebration of knowledge passed to them from family, while confronting the ongoing realities of colonialism.
Pieces in the exhibit form a connection between ancestral artistic traditions, and the present moment.
“Manuel Axel Strain is a longtime resident of Maple Ridge whose artistic career has reached new heights in recent years. Waking Ground comes full circle to show Strain’s creative achievements with our community” says Courtney Miller, Curator and Gallery Manager.
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Several of the artists paintings will feature imagery inspired by pictographs from across Coast Salish territory, and guests will see images and hear the voices of Strain’s family members throughout the gallery.
A new feature at the ACT Art Gallery will also see its debut at the exhibit – interactive cards for both adults and children – with the children’s interactive card providing a 10-15 minute learning activity to foster a deeper engagement with the artworks.
Strain’s artwork has been part of collections at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Surrey Art Gallery, and the UBCO Fina Gallery. Their solo exhibits have been featured at the Burrard Arts Foundation, UBC Okanagan Gallery, Neutral Ground in Saskatchewan, and have been commissioned by the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery.
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They were also a recipient of the 2022 Portfolio Prize, as part of the 85-5 Visual Arts Foundation) which was founded in 2000 by five artists who graduated from Emily Carr University. The award aims to encourage the development of young artists through their early careers.
The free, public opening reception takes place 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 16. The exhibition runs until Saturday, May 11.
The ACT Art Gallery at 11944 Haney Place in Maple Ridge is open 10-4 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday, and on selected evenings.