Category Archives: Art

URBAN GALLERY HOSTS OPENING RECEPTION FOR BRIAN GIBSON’S SOLO SHOW “ICONS” FOR PRIDE MONTH

Throughout June, Toronto celebrates its LGBTQ community and each year URBAN GALLERY hosts an art exhibition as part of the city’s PRIDE festivities.

This year, hyper-realist portrait artist BRIAN GIBSON is launching his ongoing project ICONS featuring legends from Hollywood and the music industry. This past Saturday, the gallery was filled with Brian’s family, friends and fans, along with a DJ spinning tunes by some of his artistic subjects. Brian (below left) and his partner, Danny (below right) enjoyed sharing stories behind each portrait and how each star has impacted Brian’s work in this special ongoing series of paintings. Portraiture has been a historic representation of society and the continuing similarities found in the human experience. Hair & clothing styles may change but we are fundamentally the same throughout time. ~ Brian Gibson.

Gallery curator Allen Shugar (below R) really enjoyed hanging this show and being surrounded by such famous faces…as did gallery director Calvin Hambrook (below L) Even a young Sophia Loren made an appearance alongside Judy Garland (below)The guests were enthralled by the uncanny likenesses… …and Brian was happy to chat with everyone and pose for photos…The whole gallery was a-buzz with people sharing memories of concerts attended or movies they watched starring these “icons”…

ICONS runs until June 29th so we look forward to introducing you to Cher, Marilyn, Doris, Rock and Prince!
URBAN GALLERY, 400 Queen St East, Toronto
www.urbangallery.ca

URBAN GALLERY PRESENTS PHOTOGRAPHER PENG-KUEI (BEN) HUANG – SCOTIABANK CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

After yesterday’s successful launch to the annual Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Urban Gallery invites lovers of photography and art to visit BEN HUANG‘s haunting solo exhibition “SOLEMN PINES, FADING THINGS” running throughout the month of May.

In the beginning there was an earthquake, then a massive wave took everything. But just as things couldn’t get any worse, an explosion at Fukushima coast released dangerous amounts of radiation. Survival instinct took over: residents left behind things that were precious to them as they escaped. And the trauma remains, like ghosts of the dead lingering upon the land. Over time, as debris is cleared and towns are being rebuilt, the sorrow persists. Ben Huang began visiting Tohoku coast in Northeastern Japan in 2012 with an idea of documenting the transformation in the aftermath of the disaster. Throughout his numerous journeys since then, he learnt how a supposed recovery effort has had a profound impact on the environment and the people living there. These photographs are a testament to such a change; they tell a story of hope and uncertainty of the future, as well as grieving for the lost. It is hopeful yet somber, fragile yet strong, and vulnerable but determined as the region and its inhabitants come to terms with the tragedy. ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Native of Taiwan, Peng-Kuei “Ben” Huang first moved to Indonesia in 1990 and later to Los Angeles, California in 1993. In 1997, he attended Pitzer College where he studied international politics. He began to take an interest in photography in 2001 and left for San Francisco where he earned a BFA degree in 2004. In 2008, he attended the Magnum Workshop Toronto under the guidance of renowned photographer Larry Towell and was selected as one of the finalists for the Scotia Bank Prize. Ben has been living in Canada since 2005 and splits his time between Canada and East Asia. www.benhuangphotos.com

Ben was thrilled to welcome family and friends to Urban Gallery which was soon packed and buzzing! Toronto arts journalist, Mark Hasan, interviewed Ben (below) who was happy to share his thoughts on the current state of the environment, esp. around the Fukushima reactor that released dangerous amounts of radiation and is still impacting the world’s oceans.You have another opportunity to meet Ben in person – Saturday May 25th (2-4pm) – the gallery looks forward to welcoming those interested in the art of photography and learning from Ben’s first-hand accounts of how Japan is recovering from the earthquake & tsunami. All photographs are available for purchase – the archival pigment prints are 16″ x 24″ (framed or unframed) and are in limited editions of 20. Further details: www.urbangallery.ca

LORI RYERSON’s solo show “OFF THE BEATEN PATH” runs thru April 27 at URBAN GALLERY, TORONTO

Yesterday, Saturday April 13th, Urban Gallery’s artist of the month LORI RYERSON (pictured below) hosted a meet-the-artist event after her big launch reception last week. Those fans who couldn’t make it for the grand opening of her show “Off the Beaten Path” poured into the gallery and another photographic artwork was quickly sold…red dot firmly affixed to one of my personal favourites, “Tears of a Peacock” (below)Most of the photographs featured in Lori’s show illustrate the remoteness and emptiness of spaces in far off lands… My photography is usually the result of serendipity. I look for an alignment of things that convey a story, for the narrative in abandoned urban landscapes. I try to capture what silence looks like. These are the stories I tell through my lens. – Lori Ryerson, 2019

Here’s Lori to tell you about the show in her own words:

Lori enjoyed sharing her inspirations and travel stories with gallery visitors….…and Lori’s sister, Lisa, dropped in to wish her well with the show (below)…as did her fellow artists and friendsOver the years, Lori has amassed a huge portfolio of photographs, many of which have been compiled into books that her fans appreciate and stand in line to purchase at her shows… Off the Beaten Path runs until April 27th at Urban Gallery, 400 Queen St East, Toronto (just 1 blk E of Parliament). Gallery hours and directions: www.urbangallery.ca

If you’d like to learn more about the artist, follow her on social media or visit her website: www.focalocity.ca

ARTIST HANNA KOSTANSKI PAINTS THE PAST & ILLUSTRATES THE BEAUTY OF ABANDONED BUILDINGS

I have the pleasure of introducing you to my new client, artist HANNA KOSTANSKI, whose work I first discovered in 2017 when she presented her solo show at Urban Gallery in Toronto (below) She was born in Szczecin, Poland, and in the 80’s her family emigrated to Hamilton, Ontario, where she grew up and first discovered her love of painting. Hanna attended the Ontario College of Art & Design where she obtained her BFA in 2007. She still resides in Hamilton with her husband and two rescue dogs and a black cat who really runs the house! Hanna’s work can be found in dozens of private and public collections, including a hospital, several law offices and hotels in both Toronto and Hamilton.

Her most recent series of paintings are based on photographs found at the City of Toronto Public Archives. These images span several decades and show a nostalgic view of the city as it once was. They celebrate the past while showing the development of Toronto and the ways in which people helped shape it. In contrast to Hanna’s previous collections which embody the loneliness of an environment in the absence of human touch, this series celebrates the vibrancy of people interacting with the streets and neighbourhoods.

Bay & Adelaide Streets circa 1940s

I’ll let Hanna tell you herself about her passion for vintage views and recreating mid-century street scenes…

For over a decade, my work has been focused on the visible passage of time, experienced through the exploration and documentation of abandoned and decaying buildings in cities like Hamilton, Detroit and more recently, Toronto. I’ve always been fascinated with historical architecture, specifically how we interact with our buildings and structures, and what happens when that interaction ceases to exist. – Hanna Kostanski

It was wonderful visiting Hanna in her home studio, seeing where and how she works… … and discovering new works currently being undertaken (below) We’re currently researching showcase opportunities at this year’s DOORS OPEN TORONTO, a weekend in May where the public can visit historic buildings and venues. Hanna’s brilliant painting of the Yonge & Dundas intersection, circa 1978, would be the perfect illustration of Toronto’s past so I’m busy pounding the pavements and visiting building management offices to secure a spot for this incredibly detailed view of the busiest spot in Toronto!Hanna is also in high demand for commissioned work and she’s currently working on a number of pieces for birthday and retirement gifts so some very special paintings will soon be going to some equally special homes. If you would like to learn more about Hanna and get in touch for your own commissioned slice of the past, visit her website and follow her on social media: http://www.hannakostanski.com Watch my social media (Fcbk, Twtr, IG) over the coming weeks for more video interviews with this talented artist.

A Parisian street scene, given the Kostanski touch!

The heavy industrial side of Hamilton, ON, also gets the Kostanski treatment

MR. HYDDE’S GROOVY GALLERY OPENING FOR “HAPPY TYME” SOLO SHOW

I discovered a great gallery on Spadina Ave (Toronto) last night when I attended the opening soiree for the fabulous Mr. Hydde‘s solo show titled “Happy Tyme”. Coldstream Fine Art represents a number of exciting contemporary Canadian artists and I was thrilled to see Mr Hydde’s new works hanging in this space. His show runs util March 23rd so please scroll down and check the websites linked at bottom of this blog for info & gallery directions.Upon entering the 2nd floor gallery, I was amazed by the brightly coloured large, fanciful paintings, each of which intrigued with Mr. Hydde’s embedded text and imbued with his sense of humour and social commentary. I managed to grab a quick Q&A video with the man himself….

I met up with some friends from the Toronto arts community including (below) Val Peter (L), Tanya Solonyka (C) and Michelle Dinelle (R) who were their to support our talented friend, Mr Hydde.I had my eye on this one, Flowerz (below) and decided to commit. Yes, that’s my red dot alongside. The eyes followed me around the gallery and kept drawing me back so….I just had to have it!I encourage you to visit Coldstream Fine Art and view Mr. Hydde’s work in person…see if any of the other eyes follow YOU around the gallery. Thank you for supporting local artists. Coldstream Fine Art, 80 Spadina Ave, Ste. 208 www.coldstreamfineart.com/

www.mrhydde.com

DISCOVERING NEW TALENT & OLD FRIENDS @ THIS YEAR’S “ARTIST PROJECT”

I spent the afternoon cruising the aisles of this year’s ARTIST PROJECT Contemporary Art Fair taking place this weekend in the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place, Toronto. Thanks to Nancy Bennett for the comp ticket, I made a beeline for her booth #939 (I started at the back of the hall, saw her first, then worked back towards the front for an easy getaway!).

Here’s Nancy (at R), busy as always in her booth welcoming visitors including fellow artist Libby Sims (far L)… …really liked her latest piece (above) titled Ferry Trails, inspired by the chilly waters of Lake Ontario in front of her downtown condo, with all the wake trails from the harbour ferries. Check out more of Nancy’s work at: www.nancybennett.ca

Further along the aisles, I stopped to admire the gorgeous photographs of the white horses of the Carmargue (France) by Robert Postma (below) See more of his herd at www.robertpostmaphotography.comIlinca Ghibu (below) brought an early spring to Toronto with her beautiful & delicate florals. www.ilincaghibu.comHere’s the delightfully quirky Zoey Zoric who is showcasing her “hands” series this year. www.zzfineart.comLast year, I purchased one of Mirek Bialy‘s stunning acrylic and copper works similar to those below, and this year he’s back with some new creations incorporating specially treated dried fruit & plants as well as pyramids. www.mirekbialy.com Mark Gleberzon was busy chatting with booth visitors so I shot around him so as not to interrupt…I’ve been a longtime fan of Mark’s work, his sense of humour and the way he tweaks our artsy-fartsy sensibilities. Long live Barbie! www.mjggallery.com Opposite Mark’s booth, I wandered over and introduced myself to west coast artist Sherri Rogers whose colourful cityscapes feature street artists’ work. www.sherrirogers.com Another longtime fave of mine is Morgan Sheardown (below) who was busy chatting with visiting art students…he’s the perfect mentor as he’s achieved so much success thanks to his great marketing skills as well as artistic talents. www.morgansheardown.comEllen Cameron is another accomplished equine photographic artist – just look at these gorgeous portraits, you can almost hear them whinnying! www.ellencameron.com Victor Molev is adorable as well as talented…his unique surreal paintings bring out the childlike wonderment in all of us. He’s got an open house studio event March 16 (10am-5pm) in Richmond Hill so visit his website for details and to see more of his extraordinary work. www.victor-molev.pixels.com I made an instant new friend when I walked into Linda Simopoulos‘ booth. Such a warm, open and talented individual and boy, does she have a story to tell. Anyway, I fell in love with the piece below (second photo) and I hope to welcome it to its new home soon! If you go to the show, tell her I sent you and do check out her website: www.lindasimopoulos.com Another new artist I discovered is Dalia Elcharbini whose work is more bling’d out than Cardi B!! Gold leaf adorns her large format portraits and if you look closely, you’ll marvel at the intricacy and sensitivity of her work. Tell her I sent you if you visit the show, and her website is: www.daliaelcharbini.com. (It may not be terribly PC to say so but she’s as cute as a button, too!).More fabulous photography, this time from Lori Ryerson (below) who has a solo show coming up in April at Urban Gallery (www.urbangallery.ca) in Toronto. Here Lori explores the beauty of remote locales such as these from Iceland. For more information, www.focalocity.ca My big discovery this year is Steven Hasegawa – this was his first time at the Artist Project but I’m sure it won’t be his last. This Japanese Canadian artist is inspired by the Samurai helmets and armour of ancient Japan, and his work really resonated with my own personal obsession with all things Japanese. His large format colourful paintings are quite extraordinary and I hope to interview Steven for my arts blog, FlyontheGalleryWall.ca soon. Visit his online gallery at: www.stevenhasegawa.art Finally, what’s an art expo without a visit to the booth of Kate Taylor?! Kate has an exciting new project coming up – to learn more, visit www.Creative-Adventures.ca In the meantime, you can view her work in person at the show or at: www.katetaylorstudio.com Lots more to see and experience so I encourage you to visit The Artist Project 2019.
www.theartistproject.com
@ArtistProjectTO

ARTIST & ARTUSIASM GALLERY OWNER TANZINA AMIN SHOWCASES HER PAINTINGS IN “MY ECLECTIC POTPOURRI” SOLO SHOW

I had the pleasure of attending yesterday’s launch of artist and galley owner TANZINA AMIN‘s end-of-year solo show My Eclectic Potpourri at Artusiasm Gallery on St Clair Ave West in Toronto. What a riot of colour and energy welcomed me when I walked through the doors….so many vibrant colours and bold brush strokes! Since first putting paint brush to canvas, Tanzina’s style has changed dramatically and she included several pieces from earlier years to illustrate her journey as an artist. Just look at these stunning classic landscapes… And then came this abstract expressionist landscape….…and finally she blossomed into an exciting abstract portrait artist resulting in these commanding faces:Tanzina expresses her sense of humour freely with this super fun doggy portrait. Who wouldn’t want to be greeted by this happy face every day…let’s go walkies?

Meet the artist:

Tanzina is a Bangladeshi-Canadian artist in Toronto. Art has always been her passion as well as her retreat from the demands of everyday life. Having graduated in Architecture, Tanzina is drawn towards visual composition and balance. She is fascinated and inspired by colourful ethnic cultures and traditions. She loves forms which are powerful in their simplicity and embrace an abstract style. Until three years ago, Tanzina had never shown her art in public. She began drawing and sketching on her own as a teenager, and eventually took two years of formal training in traditional oil painting with a renowned Bangladeshi artist in the mid 1980s. Eventually she had no more time for art as she focused on her education, family and career. She started painting again after a 23+ year break and found herself moving away from realism and traditional styles. She began exploring abstract expressionism, including taking a few courses. As Tanzina continued to study and learn, she became more and more intrigued with the versatility of abstract art, and how it can evoke impulse in the viewer to find their own path to interpretation.

Tanzina teaches art and conducts workshops and paint parties. She loves to create fun and innovative art workshops such as expressionist style pet portraiture and self portraits. Besides her busy career, her art, and her teaching, Tanzina also co-owns Artusiasm Gallery with her husband and biggest fan Carlos Rodrigues (pictured below at an earlier show).To Tanzina, painting is meditative, therapeutic and expressive. It helps her be in the moment. She is continually modifying her style and techniques to find new ways of expressing herself. She loves to explore the realms of colour, texture and form. Tanzina hopes her art makes a personal connection with the viewer. (courtesy of www.tanzina.ca)

I loved this particular series of glamorous ladies (below)… …and was incredibly moved when Tanzina presented me with my favourite piece (the one on the left) as a thank you for support given to Artusiasm’s shows over the past couple of years. I so related to this lady in the picture, ignoring the fab party going on behind her, just gazing out across the ocean, wineglass in hand with thoughts of future adventures and romances (I’m sure). Thank you so much, Tanzina, I am extremely honoured.So if you’re looking for an inspiring and fun experience over the month of December, visit Artusiasm Gallery, 1684 St Clair Ave West, Toronto. For gallery hours and directions: www.artusiasm.com

VANESSA CUARTAS’ COLOURFUL HORSE PAINTINGS STAMPEDE INTO URBAN GALLERY, TORONTO

URBAN GALLERY‘s artist for December 2018 offers up a whole herd of colourful, vibrant horses galloping across the gallery walls: VANESSA CUARTAS presents lively abstract equine portraits in her solo show BRIO that runs now until December 29th….a glorious exhibition on which to end the year!

Of Colombian heritage, Vanessa is originally from Miami, and now resides in Toronto. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Central Florida with an emphasis on graphic design, later receiving an Art Direction Diploma from the Miami Ad School. Throughout her school years and any personal time, Vanessa always found time to paint as much as she could, and rode her family’s horses regularly. She became passionate about the Puerto Rican Paso Fino breed and if you look carefully at her paintings, you can see their influence in the conformation (stance) of each subject. We spoke with Vanessa just before the gallery doors were opened and here is what she shared…

A designer by day and artist by night, her passion for painting has grown stronger in recent years. When she first moved to Toronto, she was without an established circle of friends and struggling to find an artistic focus so Vanessa decided to do what she loved most: paint horses. Her unique contemporary style has found an appreciative audience and her circle of friends has grown exponentially, many of whom attended the gallery on Vanessa’s opening day, Saturday Dec. 8th (below). Her bold colorful BRIO series conveys movement and a lot of positive energy that attracts attention, even from the littlest art fans….Joining Vanessa at the opening were her husband, Mario (below R) and brother JP (below (L)And gallery curator, Allen Shugar (below L) and gallery director Calvin Hambrook (below R) joined Vanessa to celebrate her opening.If you love horses, you will LOVE this exhibition…. …and within the first half-hour of her opening reception, Vanessa had already sold one piece, titled “The Journey”(below)

If you missed the opening reception, you can come meet the artist Saturday Dec.15^th (2pm to 4pm) and you can also visit the gallery weekdays and Saturdays throughout the month of December. Log on to www.UrbanGallery.ca for hours and directions – located at 400 Queen St East, Toronto.

TORONTO ARTIST JUDITH McKAY UNVEILS SOLO SHOW “HIRAETH” @ URBAN GALLERY

Running throughout the month of November, Hiraeth is thesolo show featuring stunning and colourful contemporary landscapes and “tree portraits” presented by JUDITH McKAY at Urban Gallery, 400 Queen St East in downtown Toronto.The Toronto artist explores fantasy as a means of finding peace in a frenetic world. Trees are her allegory for the endless pursuits of modern life: rooted, yet branching out to reach the sky.

Largely self-taught, Judith’s style is free-flowing. She uses both thick impasto and fluid colour to achieve movement and boldness. Fearless about colour, she uses a vibrant palette, applying interference and iridescent paints to achieve surrealistic effects. Her style is constantly evolving via frequent participation in workshops and exhibitions, as well as studying the techniques of other artists.

Judith (below L) was joined by her husband Rob Sylvester (below R), and her daughter Shannon (below C) came in all the way from New Jersey to celebrate the big opening reception!The gallery looked bright and welcoming on such a grey Saturday – and soon the guests started pouring in, admiring all the canvases….

ARTIST’s STATEMENT: Hiraeth (here-eye-th) is a Celtic word that means a wistful longing for a place to where you cannot return. A place that perhaps never was. The desire for a sense of peace and belonging are emotions I seek to capture in my work. Such desire can often turn to frustration when the real world doesn’t live up to fantasy, and so I depict trees, firmly rooted yet dancing in the wind, to symbolize resiliency as we continue to seek our true home, despite adversity. For this exhibition, I chose a vibrant palette and the use of high gloss medium and reflective paints to create an ethereal effect, as if awakening from a beautiful dream that quickly evaporates and eludes us. The pieces selected for display are meant to truly express what Hiraeth means to me. ~ Judith McKay

I had the opportunity of chatting briefly with Judith prior to opening the doors of the gallery and she kindly shared with me her process and inspirations, especially for this collection….

If you would like to see Judith’s gorgeous, lush paintings, visit www.urbangallery.ca for gallery hours and directions, and follow Judith on her Instagram account: @judithmckayart

Hiraeth runs now until Nov. 30th at Urban Gallery, 400 Queen St East, Toronto.

Thank you for supporting Canadian artists!

EXPRESSIONS OF CHINA exhibition marks 48th Anniversary of Canada-China diplomatic relations

Today, October 13th, marks the 48th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. Yesterday, I was honoured to attend the opening of a one-week cultural exhibition of contemporary paintings illustrating the famed 300 poems from the Tang Dynasty at the Robarts Library, Uni. of Toronto, thanks to the kind invitation from Justin Poy (The Justin Poy Agency), one of organizers along with the Inst. of Traditional Chinese Painting Creation & Research. ABOVE LtoR: Jack Leong, Andre Schmid, Consul Jingjing Sai, Larry Alford, Justin Poy, Jerry Shi, Binghuang Shi

Justin, along with local dignitaries and visiting Chinese representatives, introduced the special celebratory installation of stunning traditional watercolour and ink illustrations created by 130 of China’s leading contemporary artists including Xiang Li, Hong Biao Liu, Hui Zhong Ren and Dong Fang Wang. The poems of romance, longing & passion were written in an ancient language and are extremely difficult to translate into English, something Justin, along with his Chinese collaborators, is trying to remedy with an upcoming book, perhaps in time for the 49th anniversary next year. The beauty of the scrolls is undeniable and regardless of my lack of understanding of the language, the subjects exuded the thoughts and feelings behind each poem. This delicate painting (below) in the softest of pastels and pinks caught my eye and I returned to it over and over again. I would love to know the meaning of the poem it illustrates as it obviously resonated with me on a subliminal level.So many beautiful scrolls decorated the Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library on the 8th Floor so I hope you can visit over the next week and see for yourself. EXPRESSIONS OF CHINA runs Oct. 12-19 at the Robarts Library (U of Toronto), 130 St George Street. Supported by the Art Committee of Chinese Artists Association. For more information contact: 647-821-7050.