A Big Universe is an art exhibition running from Oct. 22 to Nov. 24, 2020 at the Shenkman Arts Centre (245 Centrum Blvd, Ottawa, Canada). Featuring two Ottawa artists, An Nguyen and Kina Forney, “A Big Universe” aims to transport the viewer to worlds that are familiar, and some worlds beyond our reach.
“The exhibition features bold cityscapes and skies beyond our reach,” said the artists. “We are two Ottawa artists who came together to bring this show to life. It took us 2 years to plan, create and deliver this show and it would mean the world to us if you came and saw it.”
In her acrylic paintings An Nguyen says she uses her travel experience to bring to life some of the biggest cities in the world. Her style uses a continuum of geometric and organic shapes that whimsically dance together to highlight the universe’s movement. Decisive lines, bold colours, and shifting form, vibrantly characterize popular cities that were chosen for their unique challenges. As we tour the world through these paintings, it is An’s hope that these series of cityscapes illuminate the beauty and high cost of accelerated growth and the thrill of discovery.
Kina Forney’s latest series of paintings are inpired by digital photos taken by The NASA Hubble SpaceTelescope. She says it has allowed us to see even farther to the very edge of the universe. Kina’s celestial paintings can be easily identified through the use of concentrated light sources, contrasting colours which bring life to representational images of large, expansive environments in nature such as space, clouds and skies. Kina emphasizes the need for human connection through mutual acknowledgement of human existence and the urgent need for a sustainable, and peaceful future.
Imagination is a significant ingredient to both bodies of work, as each artist is continuously influenced by science fiction, the idea of universalism and exploration. It’s their hope that this exhibition transports you through land and sky, through places familiar and foreign, and through universes that are beyond your imagination.
Together they tell a story of human curiosity, ingenuity and persistence- qualities that have enabled us to expand our boundaries beyond our home and world.
When:
Oct. 22 to Nov. 24, 2020
Where:
Address: Shenkman Arts Centre
245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, ON K1E 0A1
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