Abound

Abound is a celebration of art created during the 2020–2021 academic year by seven University of Ottawa Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) graduates. The thoughtful and exciting works presented here reflect each artist’s mature and rigorous practice.

These artists encourage us to look at the desire for connection in both natural and built environments, and to think critically about boundaries — pushed, explored, respected, and deeply felt over the passage of time. In all of these works, the artists invite us to explore our surroundings using our senses and curiosity, and to reflect upon both real and perceived boundaries of time and space. Many of the works evoke a sense of place, and the (dis)comfort that comes with feeling static, isolated or unwelcome.

Despite the challenges of working from home or in closed-door studios during the pandemic, the artists continued to elaborate their practices, taking into account the personal and practical implications of working within and throughout the unique contexts of pandemic living. United by a sensitivity to materiality, process and content, Abound showcases each artist’s flourishing aesthetic and theoretical engagements, along with their contributions to their respective fields.

Presented in partnership with the University of Ottawa, Department of Visual Arts.

This exhibition was realized with the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as the RBC Foundation’s support of the OAG’s Connect: Artist Mentorship Program.

Abound Title Wall, 2021. Photo: Justin Wonnacott
Peter Kohut, Sundial at Night, 2021, oil and charcoal on canvas and A Watched Pot Never Boils, 2021, oil and charcoal on canvas. Photo: Justin Wonnacott