CHROMA

For many artists, colour holds value as both a stylistic choice and as a fundamental means of providing information to the viewer. It evokes emotion while defining form through the depiction of light. The artists in this exhibition are united by their use of colour as a tool to shape their artworks.

Colour alone can convey a narrative. In her series Constructed Recollection, Leslie Hossack creates her own personal palette, each colour meticulously selected to reflect a specific memory. Crayola’s vibrant colour palette is immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with the brand.

Colour can be treated as a communicative tool to open a dialogue with the viewer. Claire Cepukas’ Gardenia series shifts away from traditional depictions of nature through the use of a monochrome and a highly saturated colour palette. This stark contrast between the organic and the manufactured invites the viewer to consider their own relation to nature. In contrast, Chris Glabb explores themes of hierarchy and otherness through gestural brushstrokes and muted colours. Untitled (Self-Portrait Divided) evoques themes of racialization and division.

For the process-based artist, colour is a playground.  Mark Garland’s vibrant and graphic paintings balance both humour and social commentary. In Underdeveloped Illusionism, it is the tension between colour and space that draws the viewer in, only for them to ultimately find themselves lost in the detail. As a colourblind artist, DAWD’s practice centers on translating how colours feel. Guided by a deep connection to music and an intuitive rhythm, DAWD’s Cityscape 89 unfolds as a colourful symphony of bold and dynamic shapes.

Through visual storytelling or through process-based experimentation, Chroma showcases each artist’s use of colour as a driving force to shape the narratives within their work.

Artists: Heather Assaf, Claire Cepukas, DAWD, Laurence Finet, Mark Garland, Julian Garner, Chris Glabb, Leslie Hossack, Manon Labrosse, Sharon Lafferty, Dominic Laporte, Jose Palacios, Debbie Ratcliffe, Beth Stikeman, Tavi Weisz, Jessica Whitney

Exhibition Coordinator: Élie Crighton
Assistance: Kelly Dixon
Installation: Dan Austin and Rob Keefe

Feature Artwork: Leslie Hossack, Crayola (detail), edition of 5, 2022, digital chromogenic print, 76 x 64 cm, courtesy of the artist.