Second Nature

Curated by Ryan Trafananko and Tania Willard, UBC Okanagan Gallery’s newly appointed director  Second Nature explores how the complex visual patterns of the natural world are referenced in contemporary art and cultural identities. The exhibition features a variety of mediums from printmaking to sculpture to painting that highlight the links between organic and industrial structures. 

Second Nature

December 15, 2023 to January 24, 2024, FINA Gallery

Second Nature features a selection of works from Okanagan based artists Csetkwe Fortier (Syilx/Secwépemc) and David Doody in addition to works from UBC Okanagan’s Public Art Collection by Jordan Bennett (Mi’kmaw), Judy Gouin and Judith Schwarz.

Second Nature Exhibition Essay

About the artists:

Jordan Bennett is a Sobey long listed Mi’kmaw artist from Stephenville Crossing, Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). Bennett’s ongoing practice utilizes painting, sculpture, textiles, video, installation, public art and sound to explore land, language, the act of visiting, familial histories and challenging colonial perceptions of Indigenous histories and presence with a focus on exploring Mi’kmaq and Beothuk visual culture. 

Judith Schwarz is a nationally-recognized artist and UBC alumni whose work is found in public and private collections across Canada. Professor Emeritus Schwarz has served as Chair of York University’s Department of Visual Art & Art History and as Graduate Program Director of the MFA Program in Visual Art. Judith Schwarz has created several large-scale public commissions in Toronto and Vancouver that stress integration between art and the environment.

Judy Gouin is a visual artist specializing in printmaking, photography and painting. She was active in the Canadian Artists’ Representation, Ontario (CARO), now known as CARFAC Ontario and previously held the position of Film, Photography and Video Officer at the Ontario Arts Council. Her work is featured in public art collections including the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography and the Ontario Art Gallery. She also has works in numerous private and corporate collections.

Csetkwe Fortier is a multi-gifted artist with her roots in the Syilx (Okanagan) and Secwépemc (Shuswap) Nations. Holding the respect of being a sqwuy (mother to sons) stamiya (two spirit) and a traditional knowledge keeper, she mainly works in ceremony, mental health/ wellness, storytelling, performance art, song/ poetry writing, painting, illustration and most recently murals. 

David Doody received his BFA from UBC Okanagan in 2008 and completed his MFA at Concordia in Montreal in 2017. An instructor of sculpture and painting at UBC Okanagan, Doody’s work engages with ideas relating to urban planning, spatial temporalities, and architecture. Doody is the artistic director and curator of the Uptown Mural Project, an educational urban art initiative that brings mural artists from across the country to Kelowna to collaborate on site-specific installations.