Emerging Artists by Emerging Curator
Curated by Lex Barrie
Works by Marc Bourgeois, Shevon Lewis, Sandamali Angunawela, and Ren Lonechild
Presented with the generous support of Megan Deeks (The Deeks Financial Group CIBC Wood Gundy), Frances Patella, and TOAF
Ethereal is an exhibition of four emerging artists curated by Lex Barrie. The exhibition presents artworks relating to the curatorial theme of individualization of the purity and beauties of our world by artists selected from the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Emerging Artists roster.
About the Curator
Lex Barrie
Lex Barrie (they/them) is an undergraduate student of the Criticism and Curatorial Practice program at OCAD University.
They have curated in-person group exhibitions at the Ada Slaight Gallery and co-curated a group, virtual exhibition in collaboration with the Ontario Society of Artists (OSA), the Archives of Ontario and OCAD University titled, “The Archive of Merit: From OSA to OCAD”.
Having worked with Propeller Art Gallery for over a year on various projects and exhibitions, they gained valuable experience in the art of curation and design. They acted as the coordinator for the latest “West Queen West Art Gallery Crawl”, in collaboration with 8 Toronto contemporary art galleries, including Propeller in July of 2022. Lex is also a writer for ArtToronto.ca, a Toronto art magazine covering exhibitions across the city. Their latest curated exhibition, Ethereal, was put together in collaboration with the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) and will be showcased at Propeller Art Gallery from February 15th – March 5th 2023.
Marc Bourgeois
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marc Bourgeois integrated a vast array of physical materials to create the stunning illusion of cloud-like sceneries within his works. As a photographer, Marc reached out via social media to interested
models who, joining over Zoom meetings, were able to be captured from their homes in various situations or poses. In an effort to continue his journey of creation, Marc set out to match and bring to life the coloured images of his mind in
his printed works.
Shevon Lewis
Shevon Lewis began his art practice from a very young age, using it as an outlet for coping with mental illness and trauma. In visually communicative paintings, Shevon uses astronomy and physics as symbolic references to ideas of change, growth and
moving away from the darkness of mental illness. He is continually striving for a sense of “beauty” that, he states, is still under development.
Sandamali Angunawela
Sandamali Angunawela uses her practice to engage with personal relations of having been born and raised in a third-world country. Her pieces speak to the passion and pride she has for the culture she represents, using her works as a
streamline to connect with viewers and other artists in social events, festivals and fairs of all walks of life.
Ren Lonechild
Ren Lonechild speaks to his immediate family’s connection to art, having been first inspired to draw by watching his father, a well-renowned Saskatchewan artist from the Cree nation. Through a series of experimental phases, Ren has gone from working with comic book characters and studying anatomy to taking inspiration from the bright colours of acrylic paints and making visual sense of his “bombarding mental images”. Ren is driven by the socialization of art-making and connecting with
audiences far and wide via social media, always searching for another medium to express his creativity through.
Thank you!
Propeller Exhibition made possible thanks to financial donations by:
- Megan Deeks (The Deeks Financial Group CIBC Wood Gundy)
- Propeller Member, Frances Patella
