Wilna and Tia Furstenberg, a mother-daughter duo from Prince Albert is currently exhibiting their art in the John V. Hicks Gallery in the Arts Centre on Central Ave. The name of the exhibition is Inner Latitude and consist of eleven artworks that are a combination of oil paintings, acrylic paintings, and charcoal drawings. The reception is scheduled for Friday, March 25 at 7 p.m.
“Creating this collaboration was something that we have been wanting to do for a few years as we are both visual artists with degrees in fine arts and we thought it would be interesting to use our different styles with a central theme in an art exhibition” says Wilna Furstenberg who graduated with a BA (Fine Arts) in 1996 from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
The Furstenbergs’ submitted a proposal for an exhibition more than a year ago to Markus Miller, Director and Curator of the Mann Art Gallery and once accepted, Tia applied for a microgrant though SK ARTS. This grant funded all the supplies for the exhibition.
“Our processes and styles are very different and distinct, but our work is tied together by the unseen and thematic: the relational bond between mother and daughter, and ideas regarding identity, home, and memory” says Tia Furstenberg who graduated from U of S in 2020 with a B.F.A. “The reliance on photos, stories, continuing traditions, language, and family are what have kept our first home a part of our cultural identity.”
The Furstenbergs are both first generation Canadians. Their 2005 immigration from South Africa to Canada is reflected in this body of work; the ripple effect of this life-changing decision and transition is still felt today and prevalent in both their artistic practices. Symbols of nature, various landscapes, and memories in these two countries overlap in each piece.
Latitude is an important concept; it is the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth’s equator, but when positioned inwardly, it can also be the distance between the head and heart.
Inner Latitude ends March 25th, 2022. The hours for the John V Hicks Gallery are Weekdays: from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.