The Loch Gallery would like to congratulate W. David Ward on his participation in the upcoming group exhibition Eyes of Society: Art, Traditional Knowledge, and the Watchmen of Haida Gwaii at the Robert Bateman Foundation, Victoria BC. The exhibition opens June 15th, 2018 and runs through to September 30th, 2018.
Eyes of Society: Art, Traditional Knowledge, and the Watchmen of Haida Gwaii, is a collection of over thirty works of art by ten Haida and non-indigenous artists. Coming from different regional and cultural backgrounds in Canada, all the artists explore the meaning of ‘sense of place’ on the islands of Haida Gwaii through their own artistic traditions. Through their art, language and beliefs, they investigate the notion that artists, traditionally, have been the “eyes of society.”
The exhibit conversation starts with the 2016 short documentary Eyes of Society, which documents the kayak trip of W. David Ward and 5 other artists, travelling from the Haida village sites of T’aanuu to SG̱ang Gwaay Llanagaay. It is an opportunity to present together First Nations and non-indigenous artists from different backgrounds an exploration of the meaning of ‘place’ through difference artistic ways of seeing. What results is a diverse collection of work representing a cross-section of Canada’s diverse population. Each of the artists reflects his or her own experience of Haida Gwaii and, through an examination of core Haida traditional knowledge and values, establishes a common ground towards a shared future.
To find out more information on the exhibition please click here.
