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Legendary beasts come to life at Deer Lake Gallery

A new exhibition at Deer Lake Gallery is exploring the beasts that roam the Pacific Northwest. Distant Tales, featuring the collaborative work of Fiona Tang and Kathleen McGiveron, opens Saturday, June 8, with a reception from noon to 4 p.m.
Fiona Tang
Drawings by Fiona Tang are part of the new Distant Tales exhibition at Deer Lake Gallery, opening June 8.

A new exhibition at Deer Lake Gallery is exploring the beasts that roam the Pacific Northwest.

Distant Tales, featuring the collaborative work of Fiona Tang and Kathleen McGiveron, opens Saturday, June 8, with a reception from noon to 4 p.m., and runs until Saturday, June 29.

A write-up about the exhibition notes that the works in the show will highlight a variety of the legendary creatures that live in and around this region.

“These creatures are mythical in stature, and their presence is breathtaking and awe-inspiring,” says the write-up.

Tang is a Vancouver-based artist who completed her bachelor of fine arts degree at Emily Carr University with a drawing major. She often works in charcoal, chalk pastel and acrylic in trompe l’oeil style, using animals as her subjects in expressive drawings – drawings that are typically life-size or larger, to emphasize the interaction of viewers with her art.

McGiveron describes her style as “rebellious and strange, lowbrow artwork,” using the style of the kitsch ceramic figurine to present reflections on popular culture, politics and internal musings.

The two will connect each of the creatures their art examines to an element of the Earth.

“As you look upon these beasts, both of which are created using earth’s materials (clay and charcoal), you will notice how each artist has integrated the elements into the works,” says the write-up.

Everyone is welcome to attend the opening reception, and admission to the gallery is always free (donations welcome).

There will also be a special Spoken Ink reading evening at the gallery on Saturday, June 15 from 7 to 9 p.m., on the theme of Writing Through Art. All are welcome, and admission is free.
 
Deer Lake Gallery is at 6584 Deer Lake Ave. See www.burnabyartscouncil.org or call 604-298-7322 for information.