New exhibition at the Kelowna Art Gallery by printmaker

Photo: Contributed

Ericka Walker, Gentle (detail), 2021, graphite rubbing and screenprint on handmade paper, 20 x 8 in. Courtesy of the artist.

A new exhibition is now at the Kelowna Art Gallery by Nova Scotia-based printmaker Ericka Walker.

Walker’s solo show, A decaying fort and a lack of guidance, features a series of original prints on handmade paper that examine the language of public monuments. Viewers will encounter a variety of works, which feature rubbings of text taken from historical sites laid on top of screen-printed imagery.

Walker also takes a look at the defining moments of European colonial activity and Canadian sovereignty.

“The reconstituted language is meant to deprive monumental sentiment of its assuredness, and to confuse its pride,” said Walker. “The action of reassembling this historic language asserts the notion that heritage can be thought of as a living entity, that it is not static, and can be re-evaluated and reframed."

Ericka Walker is an Associate Professor of Art, at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, in Halifax. She has exhibited widely throughout North America and her prints are housed in a number of public and private collections.

She was the winner of the Okanagan Print Triennial (OPT) in 2018, which some may recall seeing when it was exhibited at the Kelowna Art Gallery.

A decaying fort and a lack of guidance can be seen until July 11, 2021.

The public is invited to attend a virtual tour of Ericka Walker’s Halifax art studio and hear her speak about her artistic practice on Thursday, May 6 at 3 p.m.

The event will be broadcast live via Zoom. Pre-registration is required via the Gallery’s website.