Richmond-based artist Russna Kaur’s new exhibition She was there for a while..., opens October 17. In this exhibition Kaur treats the entire gallery space: walls, floor and ceiling as her canvas, creating an immersive painted environment. She layers mixed-media paintings on canvas, panel and paper over painted walls creating a visual feast of color, texture and pattern. Kaur draws inspiration from experimental painting practices, the iconography and precision of scientific diagrams and her childhood spent amongst lengths of brightly coloured fabric in her mother’s Punjabi bridal design studio.

Kaur’s paintings loom over the viewer and assert their presence in the gallery space. Both playful and confrontational her paintings challenge expectations placed on her as a Canadian-Punjabi woman growing up in the South Asian community of Brampton, Ontario. Through these visually lush abstract paintings Kaur explores themes of cultural identity, gender roles and painting as an act of empowering self-expression.

She was there for a while… runs October 17- November 17 at the Fort Gallery. An opening reception will be held October 18, 7-9pm which will include an artist talk by Russna Kaur and a performance by artist Fadwa Bouziane. All are welcome to attend these events.

The Fort Gallery wishes to thank the Township of Langley and the Langley Centennial Museum for sponsoring this exhibition.