Larger-than-life portraits adorn the walls of University of Winnipeg’s Gallery 1C03 for the upcoming exhibit, The In-Between. This exhibition by local artist Laura Lewis, runs from September 12 to November 8, 2024, with an opening reception on September 12, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Lewis paints flamboyant portraits of her queer artist friends to explore psychosexuality, gender, vulnerability, melancholy, and identity.
The In-Between responds to campus-wide efforts to commit to actions that help foster a university community that is not only inclusive but anti-oppressive.
Jennifer Gibson
Informed by Lewis’s technical understanding of colour theory, these sensuous works oscillate between broad gestural brushstrokes and finely rendered detail which are metaphors for the construction of identity, conveying a sense of figurative fluctuation or “in-betweenness”.
The exhibit program furthers the spirit of collaboration in which Lewis – a queer woman herself – creates her paintings and Gallery 1C03’s intention to offer a safe space in which to affirm and empower 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and build community connections.
“In a time when 2SLGBTQIA+ rights are constantly under threat, it is vital that institutions such as university art galleries boldly assert the integral presence of diverse gender identities and expressions in our society and explore the nuance of varied perspectives offered by queer folx,” writes Jennifer Gibson, Gallery 1C03’s Director/Curator. “The In-Between responds to campus-wide efforts to commit to actions that help foster a university community that is not only inclusive but anti-oppressive.”
This exhibition also features two interactive events: a workshop entitled Queering The Figure: Reinterpreting Realism through Abstraction, led by artists Lewis and Julian K. This workshop is for 2SLGBTQIA+ folx and will take place at the greenhouse artlab, located in the UWinnipeg Library on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required because space is limited. A registration link will be available soon on the exhibition webpage.
The other event features artists Mahlet Cuff, Christina Hajjar, Jessie Jannuska, Julian K, and Malaikah Rang’inya in a public conversation on Thursday, November 7 at 4 p.m. in room 2M70, that relates to representations of queerness and their own creative practices in the local arts community.
About Laura Lewis
Laura Lewis is a queer visual artist originally from Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia) currently based in Treaty 1 Territory. Her conceptual figurative painting practice explores philosophical questions concerning psychosexuality, the multiplicities of self, and nuances of the human condition. Lewis graduated in 2018 with a combined degree from NSCAD and the School of Art, University of Manitoba BFA Honours program. She is the founder and facilitator of Critical Painting Perspectives, presented by Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (MAWA). She has participated in artist residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity, and in Civita Castellana, Italy. She was featured in the 2023 Painting issue of Border Crossings magazine (interview by Robert Enright). In 2024 her work will be exhibited at various institutions across Canada including Modern Fuel, MAWA, aceartinc, and Gallery 1C03.
