Delicate and elegant as they are, ancient costumes have alwways been a symbol of Chinese cultural tradition, as clearly witnessed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony. But as time passes by, that materialism and consumerisn gradually change the Chinese culture - Western style attire substitute traditional ones. By making a contrast between [...]

… A naked man is hung up by the armpits. The suspended man, with his drooping head and transcendent air of concentration, recalls the sacred archetype of Christ on the cross. It is as if, like Christ, he is hung up for maximum humiliation in a punishment that might be rehearsed in holy rituals [...]

A senior Canadian artist, Takao Tanabe (born in Prince Rupert, right here in British Columbia) has been making paintings for nearly 50 years. While he began his career as an abstract painter, he is primarily known as a landscape painter. Although his references to the land were not always conscious, Tanabe believes [...]

I am not plugged into the art world fully, so I have not heard of Austrian artist Heimo Zobernig before today. But, just seeing some of his work, I was instantly captivated. Without even reading his artist’s statement, I could guess his intentions. Although minimal, his works certainly betrayed a very rich, inquisitive, mind - [...]

The Pilgrim’s Progress is a series of drawings by Ben Peterson depicting an imagined collision between two types of themed communities; a golf course retirement development and a historical reenactment theme park. Using the form of fragmented follie-type structures, Peterson attempts to collapse the distinction between authenticity and artifice, entertainment and education. Peterson’s depicted landscapes [...]

Kenyan-born Wangechi Mutu has trained as both a sculptor and anthropologist. Her work explores the contradictions of female and cultural identity and makes reference to colonial history, contemporary African politics and the international fashion industry. Drawing from the aesthetics of traditional crafts, science fiction and funkadelia, Mutu’s works document the contemporary myth making of endangered [...]

Neil Young (no, not the Canadian musician) is an emerging contemporary Canadian painter. His work and process combines structure to organic movement, creating abstract paintings that explore light, contrast, texture, and colour. His bold use of colour and well-balanced compositions are quite the feast for the eyes.

“Art is my voice, my release of submissive [...]

I used to really love painting, but I never really had the chance to explore the art. Every time I come across an amazing painter, that urge to pick up the brush again rekindles. Today was no different. It’s simply amazes me what textures, strokes and colours can do capture an atmosphere and make the [...]

“Looking at the history of China over the past century, we see a society which has had its culture and politics changed and remade three or four times. Many of these changes have come with conflict and trauma for all the Chinese people. Connections with a long and proud past have been shaken and severed. [...]

In recent years, contemporary Chinese artists have rise to the main stage and are becoming critically acclaimed for the work they produce. I did not grow up in China, but having been through the tough Math/Science-focused curriculum typical of Asian education systems, I can say with confidence that artistic inclination is not recognised as such [...]