Pierre Leichner
'Reaching Out'
Bita Mohabbati
'Renewal of Hope'
Marcie Rohr
'Freedom'
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The familiar expression "living the dream" can be difficult to apply to our lives in a world fractured by conflict, climate emergencies, inequality & displacement. The artists in this exhibition invites us to reimagine what it means to live dreams - not as individual comfort or success, but as a shared commitment to change. What if dreaming is not about escape, but about tending to possibilities that include healing, justice, rest & collaboration?
Pierre Leichner is a North Vancouver based multidisciplinary artist whose work combines social issues, science & advocacy. Born in Romania to refugee Hungarian parents who eventually fled to France to raise their family in safety, Leichner emigrated to Canada as a teen. A life shaped by the experiences & stories of his family's escapes from violent conflicts & authoritarianism has influenced his series of sculptures & cyanotype prints, It is in our hands and …our feet. Cement hands & feet are entwined with barbed wire & shoelaces - symbols of oppressions & movement. Different hand gestures indicate defiance, anger, hope, compassion & resilience, while strong feet walk the roads towards a better future. Each sculpture has an accompanying cyanotype print, offering graphic, indigo hued calls to resist.
Bita Mohabbati is a North Vancouver painter who strives to reflect the human condition in inventive & captivating approaches. Her current work delves into thoughts on human interaction, portraying the tension between connection & alienation in the digital age. Often subsumed by the overwhelming influences of media & information, people are less active participants in their own lives, but rather passive subjects within a world defined by external forces. Mohabbati's complex & layered backgrounds contrast her solitary subjects - a lone potted tree, an empty vessel, a stark portrait - partially consumed by their surroundings. Are they being swallowed by the world around them or emerging with a renewed sense of strength & hope? It is for us to look inside & decide.
Marcie Rohr is a New Westminster painter & textile artist concerned with exploring emotional landscapes & symbols. Her series What to Make of This, features layered, abstract paintings created in an era of collective grief over war, climate change & the opioid epidemic. The overwhelming reality of current events can trigger feelings of despair & grief. In contrast, Rohr's works are an expression of cohesion & form amidst chaos & trauma. Layering the marks, shapes & colours that make up her distinct visual language, she adds & subtracts, working intuitively to weave it all together. These disparate, transformed elements become a whole, reminiscent of blankets we take comfort in, suggest that beyond the tragedies we can find opportunities for growth & healing.
The works in this exhibition do not offer a singular vision but suggest many possible paths. They inspire dreaming—not in spite of the world as it is, but because of it. Living Dreams reminds us that even amid uncertainty, we can still choose to imagine, listen & create ways of being that are tender, courageous & shared.
Artists Talk Livestream
Wed. Aug. 20, 7 pm
Join us for an engaging conversation with the artists as they share insights into their inspirations & processes, & answer questions from viewers.
Meet the Artists
Thu. Sep. 4, 6 - 8 pm
Join in celebrating these talented artists! Experience their incredible artwork & ask discover their inspirations & processes.
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