Chromatic Complexities

Our world is full of colour & colour is full of diverse meanings & interpretations, transcending language & culture, resonating & on a deeper level. Artists Nadia Aldea, Ian Desai & Marika Morissette explore the complexities of identity, acceptance & connection through their use of colour - from dazzling riots of chroma, dynamic hue & tone studies, to layered compositions - using physical & digital media.

Nadia Aldea is a West Vancouver based mixed media artist whose work is rich in hidden details amongst many colourful layers. She works across a variety of mediums, including acrylic paints, charcoal, chalk, pastels, collage & sewing on canvas & paper. Creating intuitively, Aldea lets instinct guide her as she adds & subtracts layers, favouring a kaleidoscope of neon colours. Her central subject is the female form, depicting body parts such as eyes, mouths & faces purposefully obstructed or disfigured amongst energetic strokes & forms. These complicated faces force the viewer to accept the subject for what it is, as it is & to dig deeper through the colours & marks to sit with discomfort, & find connection. Creating from a place of acceptance, healing & exploration, Aldea’s lively & complex images invite us to take a moment of stillness & deep observation to create a space where imperfection is honoured & beauty is reimagined.

Ian Desai is a multidisciplinary artist, scholar & professor of history & literature who splits his time between West Vancouver & the US. Coming from a mixed-race background, Deasi is interested in examining the phrase “people of colour” or “person of colour”. He asks why “of”? Why not “from” or “with” or “through” or even “for”? Given his background, Desai posits claiming “person of colours” or “person with colours”.  Stating “…given that I have no one skin tone across my body, no one constant colour across the seasons. If my body is one of nature’s works of art, then it is one where colours are both singular & plural simultaneously: colour/s blending, mixing, interweaving, overlapping, struggling, nesting, nestling, competing, & caring together as many, as one.” On display are Desai’s abstract digital artwork that celebrates a constant co-mingling of colours. Creating multiple layers of chroma, form & textures with various transparencies, hues come together in dynamic combinations to create new colours – sometimes vibrant & energetic, others soft & calming. These explorations in colour mixing & creation are not only Desai’s act of expression but also one of expansion, of constantly absorbing, blending & growing.

Marika Morissette is a Burnaby based artist inspired by the creative process itself. Preferring fluid art making & abstract expressionism, she works in acrylic & mixed media. Morissette is fascinated with organic structures & patterns as well as dynamic movements inherent in nature. Using various pouring techniques, her work is unified by colourful cell-like textures that evoke natural phenomena such as biological organisms, coral reefs or oceanic surfaces. In some paintings she actively depicts flying birds or clusters of birch trees to further ground them in a recognizable space. She uses vivid hues, selecting contrasting colours, that transition smoothly across pieces to create a dynamic visual journey. Her colour choices & implementation are thoughtfully designed to evoke emotion, to connect & energize viewers. The suggestive quality of Morissette’s work allows for a variety of interpretations, from the ethereal to visceral, offering an opportunity to reflect on the beauty & fluidity of the natural world.

May 21 - June 22