Dominik Sokolowski has been gracing the Ottawa-Gatineau art scene with his work for years now, but his new work is taking things to a whole new level.
Even though this Polish-born artist is not Canadian by birth, Sokolowski primarily calls Canada — more specifically, Quebec — his home. His unique style of integrating several types of media and found objects, and his iconic square-centric work, has been featured in exhibits in both Canada and France. His exhibitions have been presented by Jean Claude Bergeron, and for the past 4 years his artwork has found a home in the Alpha Art Gallery. His celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday included a collection of over 70 paintings titled “Canadian Four Seasons”.
But recently, Sokolowski has decided to change up his famous vivid and geometric style with his newest exhibition: “The Great White North of Canada”, a 32-piece collection that depicts all Canadian provinces and territories and acts as Sokolowski’s newest celebration of our beautiful country.
For this work, gone are the usual red tones that lay in Sokolowski’s previous work, only to be replaced with sculptured textured laced with minimalistic hues of indigo, navy, grey, granite, nightshade; all combined to illicit the memory of the Northern Lights, a true Canadian treasure. For his works depicting the beauty of the Tundra in the day, Sokolowski dedicated himself to not have his whites be fully white. Instead, he captured the fantastical spirit of the Canadian arctic with blues, yellows and pinks.
Speaking about this newest work, Sokolowski says: "Ideally, small and sensible pieces should not even exist when presenting and expressing the vast and the inexhaustible subject of Canada's North. There is nothing small nor sensible about the tundra!"
The Great White North of Canada will be shown from June 12-30, 2019 at Alpha Art Gallery on Sussex Drive.
