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The exhibition brings together artists whose work stands as both a physical and metaphorical record of existence. Resilience, in this context, is treated as more than survival — it becomes a creative output in its own right, expressed through the marking of the canvas and the saturation of the medium. Individually, each artist’s perspective is distinct; together, their work forms a chorus of voices that transforms private experience into a lasting, collective record.

“Curating this show has been a true honour. Opening our walls to new voices allows us to push our boundaries and bring fresh, unexpected perspectives into the conversations we share with our community,” says Jessica Arbour, founder of Ashdale Gallery.

Nicholas Tay, a Chinese immigrant to Canada, whose artworks were recently featured in international luxury magazine Folio.YVR, renders the body in stark monochrome wrapped in saturated cultural pattern — a site where assimilation and cultural identity press against one another, where garment reads at times as armour, at times as skin.

Kirk Gower grounds his work in human experience, exploring identity, queerness, and the emotional terrain of love, loss, and anguish. Using traditional oil painting techniques, he builds dreamlike, highly rendered compositions constructed from decades of collected reference imagery, exploring the tension between realism and artifice.

Nicole Sleeth examines the difference between inner emotional worlds and outer public presence, and the charged, gendered history of the muse in Western art. Working largely in landscape, she draws on the natural terrain of her home in Newfoundland, using solitude in the land as a way to explore her own relationship to place and emotion rather than to record location itself.

Benjamin/Babe Siegl works across painting, drawing, and animation interwoven with digital image production. Their paintings address contemporary queer identity as it is complicated by historical influence, mass image culture, and digitality, finding optimism in the empowering potential of fantasy and creative play.

Marius Larose is a trans artist from the Mauricie region (Nitaskinan) in Quebec, whose practice is rooted in painting alongside two- and three-dimensional installation. Working in acrylic with techniques reminiscent of watercolour, Larose explores the symbolic relationships we hold with place, giving rise to layered, open-ended spaces that evoke both memory and imagination.

Indelible Mark closes with a significant addition: two paintings from Two-Spirit Plains Cree artist George Littlechild, whose stature in Canadian art needs little introduction. His inclusion brings a powerful and celebrated voice to the exhibition.

“Community isn’t just something we support — it’s something we need. Creativity and curiosity aren’t extras; they’re part of how we stay well, in mind and in body. That’s what a show like this makes room for,” adds Arbour.

Opening Artist Reception: July 23, 6–8 PM

On view: July 23 – August 14

Ashdale Gallery, #113 – 175 West 3rd Street, North Vancouver, BC

Jessica Arbour, Ashdale Gallery

ashdalegallery.com jessica@ashdalegallery.com

Founded in 2023 by Jessica Arbour, Ashdale Gallery brings exceptional contemporary Canadian art to North Vancouver’s North Shore. Its name honours family — combining Ashton, the name of Jessica and Chris’s son, with Lonsdale, the North Shore community that inspires the gallery’s work. Run as a family partnership, Ashdale is guided by a philosophy of integrity, curiosity, and hospitality, where success is measured by the depth of connection between the work, the artist, and the collector rather than the price of a sale. Ashdale represents artists from across the country and is committed to nurturing their growth and amplifying their voices, ensuring their work reaches collectors who resonate with their vision. The gallery is also available for private rentals. Ashdale Gallery is located at #113 – 175 West 3rd Street, North Vancouver, BC.