OAG Collection Story: Farouk Kaspaules

The Ottawa Art Gallery believes art and culture are essential parts of belonging and are the building blocks of society we want. That’s why the OAG strives to tell the story of our community’s evolution through art and help to create a positive vision for our city’s future. We are constantly inspired by the stories of art and artists in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and want to continue to share these stories and be a cultural anchor in our community.  

The OAG is excited to present this story of local artist Farouk Kaspaules, captured and produced by Chris Snow. Kaspuales is an Iraqi-born Canadian artist of Assyrian origin noted for his engravings and silk-screen photography. He mixes traditional Arabic iconography with modern symbols to produce works that reflect themes of exile, cultural displacement and related social issues.   

Since September 2023, participants of OAG’s Creative Space program have created artworks in the spirit of Kaspaules’ …and at night we leave our dreams on window sill, memory of a place (2000), an artwork in OAG’s permanent collection. Kaspaules also visited several classes to give an artist’s talk and lead workshops in screen printing, while offering feedback on participants’ creations.  

These works on are view now at the current Creative Space exhibition, Impressions of Time.  The multiple layers of the works in this exhibition represent the complexity and diversity of each artist’s personal experiences, views and intuitions.