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Featuring: Neeko Paluzzi, Magida El-Kassis, Melle Harris, Gary Franks and Xiatong Cai.
For the first time, local curator and celebrated artist, Rémi Thériault, mounts an exhibition about local emerging photo-lens artists
The exhibition focuses on how photography is a moment of transition and features five photo-based artists who are sharing their fresh insights about how photography is shifting from analog to digital. Curator, Rémi Thériault, expands on the intent of the exhibition, stating:
Posting our feelings online via images has become a daily ritual. I have asked these photographers to dig a little deeper to explore what needs more pondering. How they reflect on events of their life that need reflection. Transition is not only about change in events around us but also a reflection within ourselves, with some of these artists more literally than others.
Left: Magida El-Kassis, Three, 7 x 9 inches, Inkjet, framed, 2022
Brendan A. de Montigny, director of Studio Sixty Six, explains that “What is most exciting about programming an exhibition like this is the opportunity to collaborate and share new perspectives on how contemporary art is always changing directly with emerging artists. Rémi Thériault has curated a blockbuster summer exhibition.”
The exhibition runs from July 19 to September 6, 2024.
Magida El-Kassis (she/ her) is a photographer residing in Toronto, Canada. For more than a decade, she has been exploring the self-portrait; looking closely at every layer that comes to life with each new year of growth. She questions femininity, beauty, and the importance of eternal life and explores the struggles that come along with the preconceptions of what it means to be a woman. Magida creates her imagery using black and white film photography to create something tangible that can last a lifetime.
Gary Franks (he/him) is an Ottawa-based photographer and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa. In 2019, Gary Franks won “Best Analog Photograph” at SPAO’s A+ Exhibition, was a finalist for the Figureworks Art Prize, and was the recipient of the Ottawa Art Council’s Project X Photography Fund. His polaroid work has been featured in several group exhibitions at the Ottawa Art Gallery’s Galerie Annexe, at the Ottawa City Hall Art Gallery, and was featured as part of the 2019 Expolaroid Festival in Montreal. Gary Franks’ solo exhibition of long-exposure portraits, Paralanguage, was presented by the Ottawa Arts Council in their Micaela Fitch gallery space.
Melle Harris (she/her) is a Canadian visual artist currently capturing the mountainous landscape surrounding Canmore, AB. Her focus on traditional photographic processes reflects introspective themes of psyche, environment, and identity. Melle's works, housed in personal and private collections, resonate both intimately and nationally. With a BA in Psychology from Carleton University, a diploma in Fine Art Photography from SPAO, and a certificate in Graphic Design from SAIT, she skillfully crafts visual narratives that delve into self-expression and the diverse human experience.
Neeko Paluzzi (he/him) is a lens-based artist and language educator based in Ottawa who uses translation theories to create inter-textual installations. From music to literature, he is interested in translating other texts – both visual and non-visual – into his own photographic language that often situates his own queer body at the centre of these visual translations. He has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa and is a graduate of the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa. He was the recipient of the Karsh Continuum Photography Award from the City of Ottawa in 2021, had a feature exhibition at the Scotiabank CONTACT Festival in 2019, and was the winner of the 2018 Project X, Photography Grant from the Ottawa Arts Council. Paluzzi currently teaches English at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.
Xiatong Cai (He/ Him) is an environmental researcher currently living in Ottawa. His approaches to art are informed by a profound commitment to environmental issues and a keen understanding of the global challenges we are facing. His journey as an artist and researcher has led him to participate in a variety of projects across China, Canada, Belgium, Norway, and France, where he has gained diverse perspectives and skills. Cai mainly uses lens-based media with analog techniques, through which he merges documentary techniques with storytelling. This combination allows him to express his critical thoughts and reflections on the rapidly changing world. His work is a thoughtful response to the complexities of our lives, blending personal insights with broader social commentary. Drawing from his international background and interdisciplinary training, Cai is leveraging the power of art as a tool for reasoning.
