An exhibition in Gallery I, September 21 – October 28, 2022

Vernissage/Meet the Artist: Saturday October 1, 2pm-4pm. Please see registration information below.

From September 21 to October 28, Sivarulrasa Gallery is delighted to present GIZEM CANDAN: GARDEN OF MANA, artist Gizem Candan‘s first solo exhibition! The show can be seen in-person during our regular Gallery hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays 11am-5pm, and Sundays 11am-4pm.

Gizem Candan was born in 1996 in Istanbul, Turkey. From 2014 to 2019, she earned two undergraduate degrees from Yeditepe University in Istanbul, one in graphic design and the other in plastic arts and painting, both with honours. She then moved to Toronto, where her studio is currently based. She begins the MFA degree in Criticism and Curatorial Practice at OCAD University in Toronto in September 2022.

Gizem Candan’s work is inspired by her surroundings and the people in her life. Her works explore psychological states, including states of tension and anxiety in contemporary society and culture. Her subjects range from portraits of people she has met, to puppets she has created, to objects in her environment. She sees the “Garden of Mana” as a unique garden based on the human connection with nature. “Mana” refers to an inner energy in both animate and inanimate objects in many native cultures. In Turkish, “mana” also refers to “meaning” hence “Garden of Mana” translates to “Garden of Meaning.”

In this new body of work, the artist explores the absurdities and strains of being a part of contemporary society, including the loss of meaningful connections that has only been accelerated by the pandemic. “I want to convey the individual’s feeling of being stuck,” she says. “The figures wearing their T-shirts over their heads represent a consumer society that has closed its eyes.” Her human characters are often juxtaposed with honey bees, which stand for the wisdom of nature, or contrasted with puppets, who the artist sees as independent characters that cannot be manipulated by humans.

Gizem Candan’s works have been exhibited in Canada and Turkey, and are held in many private collections and the Special Collections of the Toronto Reference Library. She has been awarded grants from the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council.

Vernissage/Meet the Artist: Saturday October 1, 2pm-4pm. Meet Gizem Candan at our in-person vernissage on Saturday October 1, 2pm-4pm. Please note: for everyone’s comfort and enjoyment, the Gallery is voluntarily limiting the capacity for our in-person events to 50% of our posted capacity. Please email [email protected] to register for either the first hour (2pm-3pm) or the second hour (3pm-4pm) of the vernissage. We will reply to confirm your registration. We look forward to seeing you!

Contact the Gallery: Call 613-256-8033 or email [email protected] for queries about the works below. For availability and pricing information, visit our Virtual Gallery under “New Arrivals: Gallery I“.