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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nInstallation view of Back to the Grimoire<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Upon entering the gallery, I am met with the ethereality of Kenneth St. Onge\u2019s \u201cMandala Inner Realms,\u201d a large acrylic emulsion piece facing the front entrance. Self-described as a depiction of \u201chidden worlds and mystical realms where dreams are made and born\u201d (St. Onge), the piece resembles moon phases yet represents a rather abstract though hopeful idea of the human unknown. Compared to the demonic imagery and deviousness wrongfully attributed to occultism, \u201cMandala Inner Realms\u201d shimmers elegantly beneath the gallery light, welcoming visitors to challenge their own preconceptions and indulge in the narratives once and otherwise unfamiliar. However, as \u201cMandala Inner Realms\u201d draws me in, I lock gazes with the watery eyes of Danielle Vincent\u2019s \u201cWhat else is left in the world,\u201d which encompasses the emotional experiences of exploring the unknown: fearful, vulnerable, yet willing. Here, Vincent\u2019s work echoes the doubts visitors may have with pursuing these narratives but recognizes the innate human strength to push through, while St. Onge\u2019s work reminds us of the possibilities hidden within the unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nKenneth St. Onge, Mandala Inner Realms, acrylic emulsion, 30 x 30 inches<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDanielle Vincent, What else is left in the world, oil on canvas paper, 12 x 9 inches<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, venturing into the unknown is at the core of \u201cGrimoire.\u201d From a religious standpoint, the exhibition seeks to emphasize the cultures and spiritualities that deviated from monotheism and were forcibly erased by society as a result. As such, there are discernable reimaginations of gods and deities within prominent female figures. The woman of Stacy Athena May\u2019s graphite drawings, \u201cShe Who Sees Boundlessly (Into that Which Lies Beyond)\u201d and \u201cStrange Aeons,\u201d acts as a transitional almighty being that differs from the patriarchal nature of traditional doctrine. Nicola Jacobson\u2019s embroidery pieces, \u201cSainte-Horse\u201d and \u201cPriestess of the Ram,\u201d further explore these hypocrisies through their medium. While needlework once represented the domestic nature of womanhood, Jacobson reclaims embroidery\u2019s artistic merit to overcome the roles once predetermined for women within society and religion. Likewise, \u201cDesire\u201d by Riley McGinley sees the artist reinterpreting her own Catholic influences to create what she describes as her own \u201cGod-like figure,\u201d bringing acceptance to ideas of spirituality that are not dictated by tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nStacy Athena May, She Who Sees Boundlessly (Into that Which Lies Beyond), graphite on paper, 14 x 11 inches<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nNicola Jacobson, Priestess of the Ram, hand embroidery on cotton muslin, watercolour paint, wooden hoop painted in acrylic with synthetic suede cord, 10 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRiley McGinley, Desire, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 x 1.5 inches<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other artists utilize their cultural precedents to resist the dominance of Western belief systems and the colonialism it associates with. Dijana Bogdanovic\u2019s three mosaics – \u201cFire Serpent,\u201d \u201cThe Sun,\u201d and \u201cHummingbird\u201d- acknowledge the ancestry of occultism and mystique in their culture by representing drawings from ancient Mexico. \u201cThangka God of Fortune\u201d by Sherry Tu and Carin Katagiri Mahon’s “The Namahage” are rooted in Tibetan and Japanese culture, respectively. Tu centers her work around a prominent figure of traditional Buddhist artwork and honors the similarities between a thangka (Tibetan Buddhist painting) and Chinese scroll paintings. \u201cThe Namahage\u201d is a Japanese spirit within folklore that defies the conventions of beautiful god-like figures often depicted in religious European art. Andrew LaRocque\u2019s \u201cInvokation\u201d paints Qaballah and witchcraft motifs from their indigenous heritage onto birch bark to defy both colonial narratives and the canvas – offering alternatives to the dominating factors of spirituality and art.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nand Carin Katagiri Mahon, The Namahage, acrylic on wood panel, 12 x 8 x 7\/8 inches<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAndrew LaRocque, Invokation, mixed media, 58 x 48 inches<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the first half of the gallery sees interrogations of the past, dissections of the contemporary, and queries about what the future holds for narratives previously obscured, the second half pushes for acceptance and change. Azzara Nincevic\u2019s \u201ccleanse\u201d boldly portrays a journey of self-acceptance inspired by the Old Testament tale of Seraphim burning away Isaiah\u2019s belief of being unworthy. Between the dancing shadows and the peace of our central figure, embracing the fire as a force of purity, anguished faces represent the conflict of self-confrontation necessary for new growth. Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Mancia\u2019s black and white photographic works, \u201ctenebris\u201d and \u201cumbra,\u201d capture the breaking of dawn in a liminal way. Using the camera, Mancia preserves a period of transition while stripping it of colour to transform a mundane and common experience into something new.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAzzara Nincevic, cleanse, acrylic and oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches<\/p>\n\n\n