Gallery
260’s contribution to the exhibition
will celebrate Canada’s cultural landscape with seven Canadian artists
and eleven paintings that capture the images, themes and landscapes
of Canada. Indeed, the “esprit canadien” is presented in its full
idiosyncratic splendour such as the urban paysage of the
Québec artist Gilles Pelletier whose oeuvre “Le Main en Fête”; reminiscent
of the French post-impressionist painter Henri Rousseau, is an example
of a timeless and recognizable scene painted in the naive style. This
style does not present any notion of perspective in the visual plane
and people are juxtaposed and unidentifiable amongst the stacked buildings
set in a timeless summer scene. The largest selections of works at
the exhibition come from the Montreal-born artist Wm. E. Morris. This
Canadian artist incorporates his knowledge of architecture in the
construction of urban and rural landscapes depicting recognizable
Canadian scenes. Toronto’s downtown is represented in “Yonge Street”
and is depicted in the immediacy of a snapshot. In many of his works
such as “Some House in Cabbagetown” or “Niagara-on-the-Lake”; Morris
opts for a realist representation of the urban landscape and for “heritage
scenes” straight from our quotidian. In “Gerrard Street East” the
Toronto-born artist, John Joy, depicts a house in the city by a resplendent
interplay of light and shadow – a moment of calm as the sun sets on
a winter afternoon. Terry Tomalty’s “Samedi-Jan” presents a snapshot
of our national pastime: young people playing hockey in winter. This
theme is a Canadian heritage classic and the game is captured in a
particularly moving manner. A notable contribution will be that of
two paintings by the Group of Seven artist, Franz Johnston. The oeuvre
“Rocks at Cameron Bay” painted in 1939 is an example of the period
when Johnston's style became increasingly realistic, evincing a particular
fascination for the qualities of light reflected from snow. “Winter
Evening” presents us with a more intimate examination of a river valley
as the water bends along misty banks covered with conifers. Canada’s
winter paysage is depicted by the Italian-Canadian artist,
Mario Mauro and his “Hillside Cabins”. Mauro’s previous experience
with stained-glass and mosaic art, contributes to the geometric forms
and stylized appearance of the cabins in a winter landscape set in
Québec. From the tangible landscape to that of the spirit world, the
oeuvre of Norval Morrisseau, represented by “Shaman Enters Underworld”,
shows a shaman entering the underworld where he encounters stylized
creatures that resemble birds and snakes. Morrisseau is the most polemical
and revolutionary artist in our contribution to the exhibition. Indeed,
his oeuvre dominates the visual landscape of Canadian art. His depicts
mythological elements in a sinuous interplay of colour, line and form,
evocative of the spiritual transformations occurring in a sacred cycle
where the visual plane is shared by humans and animal forms that exist
as a metaphor for the interior or spiritual world. This highly original
painting articulates a highly original journey into the inner space
called, according to Morrisseau, The House of Invention.
William
Ho will be a featured artist at this exhibition; he is an
artist whose work bridges divides in a sometimes volatile world. Indeed,
the internationalism of his art is attested by the incredible achievements
of this artist, writer, speaker, activist and altruist. Throughout
the years, William Ho has been involved in many activities related
to the pursuit of world peace, a herculean feat for any one person.
William Ho illustrates this message through his lyrical and stirring
art creations; his art alludes to and intimates wider themes that
are meant to raise awareness for world issues while promoting stability
and understanding for the world and its peoples. William Ho’s
art appears in international museums, galleries, and private collections;
furthermore, it constitutes a part of the collections of institutions
such as the United Nations in New York and Parliament Hill of Canada.
William Ho’s artwork was remarked by the United Nations and
it was his celebrated brush painting “One Heart Beat”
that formed the basis for the artistic creation that was the United
Nation’s Millennium Development Award, the “UN MDG One
Heart Beat Award”. The award was sculpted by William Ho and
consists of three glass spirals around a clear sphere, it represents
“...the elevating power of our common Love and Hope”.
The first award sculpted by William Ho was presented to United Nations
Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon; to the 61st President of the General
Assembly, Sheikha Haya Al Khalifa and to H.E Leonel Antonio Fernandez,
President of the Dominican Republic. The basis for this award is the
single stroke concept Chinese brush painting “One Heart Beat”
which, according to William Ho, symbolizes “One Heart Beat,
your heart beat, my heart beat, the common One Heart Beat of the whole
humanity”. William Ho’s artwork provides an exquisite
and fascinating example of the intricate techniques of Chinese brush
painting, which is often monochrome and sometimes infused with colour.
Although seemingly simple, William Ho’s oeuvre is striking in
the pure form of its execution; however, it is strong and resonant
in its detail. Through his activity as an artist and as an innovative
pedagogue, William Ho wishes to share his vision of the Global Family
with the world through the unifying power of his art.
