Invaluable

Adrian Duchateau

Pierre Vassura

What is valuable differs from one person to another. Experiences, objects, memories, stories, philosophies - how important are they to each of us? What of the creative process - what guiding principles & processes are valuable? Artists Adrian Duchateau & Pierre Vassura delve into these questions through their bold, colourful conceptual work.

Adrian Duchateu is a Mexican photographer based in Vancouver, dedicated to exhibiting a true love for the craft & art of the photography process. His series The Value of Things explores the notion of value around objects commonly seen as valueless. Creating dynamic compositions from waste & single-use items, Duchateau transforms these 'meaningless' items into poetic & fantastic narratives. These images seek to evaluate what can be appreciated as valuable. If meaningless objects or discarded trash can become an aesthetic experience, then there can be a shift in our perspective about what we cherish. This possibility extends to our capability for cultural change, to turn around the over-consumption that has our world on the brink of irreversible damage.

Pierre Vassura, born in Italy, was an active Richmond based artist until his recent passing in 2024. An accomplished artists across disciplines, his enamel paintings combine unexpected shapes & colours to create rhythmic, energetic narratives & symbols inspired by fables, characters, poems & subjects that have informed his perspective & way of living. For Vassura, these invaluable influences have shaped his past & pushed him towards the future. Working methodically to achieves his symmetrical designs, he found value in the entirety of each piece's existence throughout the process - from before, during & after the creation.

Plan your visit to the Kay Meek Arts Centre. The exhibition spans the PARK Retirement Living Atrium & lobby to the McEwan Theatre lobby downstairs.