Take a tour of Haida Gwaii
A new exhibition of work by Kelowna-based artist Joice M. Hall will have visitors to the Kelowna Art Gallery stepping into the mossdraped cedar and Sitka spruce forests of Haida Gwaii.
Hall’s exhibition entitled Gwaii Haanas ñ Islands and Sacred Sites was inspired by a two-week artist’s residency in Haida Gwaii that she was selected for in 2016. The residency was presented by the Haida Gwaii Museum in collaboration with Gwaii Haanas/Parks Canada.
The exhibition features an 18foot-long painting installation, comprised of 14 separate works. Together, they form a composite landscape that celebrates the ocean, forest, and marine life she saw while being guided around Gwaii Haanas. Hall referenced 1,600 digital photographs she took during her visit to create the highrealism paintings in the exhibition.
Hall was also deeply moved by the five historic Haida heritage sites she visited, and what resonated with her the most were the mortuary poles around the longhouse sites at S’Gang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Anthony Island. These centuriesold carved poles stretch over 20 feet into the air and depict maps of Haida lives and lineages. Hall chose to paint five of these poles and place them within the composition of her installation, to act as spirits watching over the longhouse sites.
The goal of the Gwaii Haanas residency is to connect artists to this unique place, and then further to connect, through these artists, Gwaii Haanas to Canada and the greater world.
The exhibition opens on Saturday and runs through to April 1.
Hall spent most of her career in Calgary before moving to Kelowna in 1999. She studied at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary. She has exhibited her work in galleries across Canada, and in Mexico. In 2010, the Kelowna Art Gallery organized a full-scale survey of Hall’s work, entitled Surreal. Real. Ideal: The Art of Joice M. Hall.
A reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibition will be held Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. It’s open to gallery members and guests, by invitation. The gallery is located at 1315 Water St. downtown.