Aleksandra Dulic and Kenneth Newby, 2013; download catalogue

This exhibit bridges two key ideas: that of cultural mosaic and ecological health - both as images of diversity.  The composition of such a mosaic may help us view environmental challenges as not simply problems of science and technology but as core social, cultural and spiritual concerns. The underlying premise is that an ecologically diverse world requires correspondingly diverse metaphors that shift from a cross-cultural framework to one inclusive of ecological communities.

The expanded Canadian mosaic is expressed through the composition with dynamic images of multiplicity in a merging of Human and Nature. Meaning, both broad and focused, is constructed from layers of portraiture based on a set of faces drawn from the beautifully diverse communities characteristic of Canada. The work is reflective of our contemporary cultural reality and depicts these faces within the materials and landscapes of Nature. It weaves cultural identity through the merging of ethno-cultural diversity with a sense of place.

There must be something in the water

Video