Peace Gallery North debuted two new shows this month, displaying the works of Dawson Creek local artist Haley Bassett and Iranian sculptor Farouzan Afrouzi, who moved to Canada eight months ago.
Titled 'Bead Soup', Bassett says her show is a collection of pieces created while she completes her master's degree in fine arts through Emily Carr University. Bead Soup is what you have left over from finished bead work projects, says Bassett.
"Really what the show is, are projects I've been working on during my master's degree," said Bassett. "So, it's not like a cohesive show with an overall theme and vision, necessarily. It's just like a little bit of everything."
An interdisciplinary artist of Métis and settler descent, Bassett debuted 'Peace Maker' last summer at the Ceremonial Art Gallery in Vancouver, showcasing plants found in Northeast BC through a series of traditional Métis fire bags.
Locally sourced poplar was the only plant material used in the new show, noted Bassett, creating wooden masks on a lathe. The masks are a reflection on gender norms and traditional feminity, says Bassett, and public dialogue of whether it's rooted in biology or more of a social construct.
"I chose poplar specifically because it warps and cracks. I thought it would be interesting to use the nature of the material as part of the meaning of the piece," she said.
"My point with the masks is that this role is something that's imposed on something that has its own will, essentially," noted Bassett of the poplar.
Beaded paintings are also included in her new show, and are self-portraits like the masks, Bassett explained. A new firebag is also part of the mix.
"Which is sort of the 'belle of the ball' you might say, she steals the show," said Bassett, noting the firebag's name is 'Tall Grass' - a reflection of the feeling of peace and calm she gets when looking at fields of grass in Dawson Creek.
"I just wanted to manifest that feeling and put it in an object," said Bassett, noting that she was thinking of a field near her grandparents' home when she started working on the new firebag.
Fire bags were a common piece of survival kit for the Métis, used to carry tools and goods such as flint, steel, pipes, and tobacco, or ammunition. Also known as ‘octopus bags’ due to their shape, the bags are often used as Indigenous regalia today.
Bassett also serves as Arts North East executive director, and is a director with Arts BC, on top of her schooling. Her program at Emily Carr is remote, allowing her to remain in her home community, with a graduation date of 2025.
Contrasting and complementing's Bassett's art, Afrouzi's work explores the human body through 'Entanglement', an exhibit which takes inspiration from skin, muscle, and bone.
“For me, the organic shapes that encompass intertwined lines, porous textures, and stretch marks have been particularly intriguing,” Afrouzi told Energetic City.
Having left her homeland in the Middle East, Afrouzi said the religious culture there meant dealing with restrictive laws and oppressive social tension just because of being female.
“Being a woman in a religious and traditional culture with restrictive laws meant social tension was part of your daily life simply because of your female body,” said Afrouzi. “Perhaps my experience shares something in common with the history of Indigenous people. However, the effects of these uneasy experiences can be seen in my art.”
Both exhibits run at the gallery until Feb. 24.
With files from Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative, Energeticcity.ca
