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Burnaby Art Gallery exhibition explores lives of young women

Longstanding traditions meet contemporary art in the next exhibition at Burnaby Art Gallery. The gallery is preparing for Hope Chests, a new exhibition opening April 8 and running until June 12.
Michiko Suzuki, Migiwa
Portrait of Migiwa, 2013, is a work by Michiko Suzuki that’s part of the new Hope Chests exhibition at Burnaby Art Gallery.

Longstanding traditions meet contemporary art in the next exhibition at Burnaby Art Gallery.

The gallery is preparing for Hope Chests, a new exhibition opening April 8 and running until June 12.

The work is a large-scale installation produced by the Vancouver-based Japanese artist Michiko Suzuki, who has created eight intimate portraits chronicling the struggles of young women from different cultural backgrounds.

Each portrait includes a silk tent fitted with a table and box containing artwork to serve as a chest of memories –combining photography, digital and traditional printmaking techniques, fabric and intricate collage work.

The artwork draws from Japanese traditional customs, materials and form, incorporating references to Kiri boxes, shapes reminiscent of kimonos and the use of white silk as in Shinto rituals. At the same time, it questions contemporary concerns around global politics, human rights, identity and memory, telling the stories of young women including a victim of war in Cambodia who now lives in Vancouver, and a survivor of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Suzuki is known for creating large-scale toner-etchings, using a technique she originated and refined. She started this series in the late 2000s and the work was first shown in Tokyo as part of a group show Printmaking, eh? Four Artists Expanding the Boundaries, at the Canadian Embassy’s Prince Takamado Gallery.

Suzuki is originally from Tokyo and graduated from the Musashino Art University to train and work as a master printer. She has been living and working in Vancouver since 2006 and has exhibited internationally in Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Michiko Suzuki: Hope Chests begins in the upper gallery April 8 to May 19 and then expands to the lower gallery May 20 to June 12.

Burnaby Art Gallery is at 6344 Deer Lake Ave. and is open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation (suggested donation of $5). See www.burnabyartgallery.ca for information.

 

 

QUICK FACTS: RELATED EVENTS

  • Opening reception: Drop in to the gallery on Thursday, May 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. for the free opening reception.
  • In the BAG Family Sundays: Drop in to the gallery to see the exhibition and then take part in a hands-on studio activity, running 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 8 (Ink and Pastel) and Sunday, June 12 (Collage Portraits). Free, for all ages.
  • Exhibition tour: Join artist Michiko Suzuki for a tour on Saturday, May 21 from 2 to 3 p.m. It’s free.
  • Art Studio for Homelearners: This program brings six- to 14-year-olds into the studio for a day of art from 9:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3. It costs $38.

More info: Call the gallery at 604-297-4422 or see www.burnabyartgallery.ca