VANCOUVER, BC — SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 — Jennifer Kostuik Gallery announces Against the Grain, a duo exhibition opening September 17 and running through October 11, 2026, featuring gallery artists Marianne Lovink and Katja Zubkova. The exhibition brings together two women at very different points in their careers, both working in a medium — wood carving — that remains largely male-coded, and both proving that materiality and craft belong equally to both stages of a career.
Lovink has been carving since 1984, with public art installations across Toronto and Philadelphia and representation by Kostuik Gallery since 2000. Her decades of practice are rooted in Dutch design heritage, Modernist influence, and a meticulous, hand-carved approach to form. Zubkova, by contrast, is just beginning to build her name — she started showing with Kostuik Gallery in 2024, following a path that took her from Canada’s High-Performance Biathlon team to Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Her carved wood wall sculptures, titled entirely in binary, encode her own life story into each piece.
Placed side by side, the exhibition isn’t simply a duo show — it’s a study in two different stages of a career, one artist who has paved the way and one who is on her way up, both defying expectations of who works in wood.
“Wood carving still isn’t a space people associate with women, and both of these artists are quietly changing that — one through thirty years of major public commissions, the other through a completely new visual language. I think that’s a story worth telling” says Jennifer Kostuik, owner and director of Kostuik Gallery.
Both artists describe a similar devotion to their material, even as their careers sit at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Lovink describes a similar reverence for craft and material: “I believe that the most successful artworks always incorporate some aspect of craft. In my mind the two are inextricably linked. The natural world in all its aspects is and always has been a major source of inspiration for me in life and art.”
“I am drawn to materials that already have a language of their own. Wood has movement, grain, imperfection, warmth. It has a history that existed long before I shaped it, and I want the material to remain present in my work,” says Zubkova.
Against the Grain opens with a public reception on Thursday, September 17, from 5 to 7 pm, with both artists in attendance. An artist talk will take place at 6:15 pm during the reception, offering visitors the chance to hear directly from Zubkova and Lovink about their process and the ideas behind the work. The exhibition continues at Kostuik Gallery through October 11, 2026.
Exhibition Details:
- Exhibition dates: September 17 – October 11, 2026
- Opening reception: Thursday, September 17, 5–7 pm
- Artist talk: 6:15 pm
- Location: Kostuik Gallery, 1070 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2W9, Canada
- Artists in attendance: Katja Zubkova & Marianne Lovink
ABOUT KOSTUIK GALLERY
Located on the cusp of Yaletown in Vancouver, BC, Kostuik Gallery is celebrating 25 years representing mid-career and established visual artists from Vancouver, across Canada, the USA, Europe, Mexico and Argentina, including internationally recognized photographer Michael Kenna alongside gallery artists David Burdeny and James Lahey. A selection of artists explore minimalist themes and aesthetic approaches typically based on the influence of space and nature. The gallery features paintings, mixed media, all photography forms and a selection of indoor and outdoor abstract sculpture.
Kostuik Gallery has participated in international art fairs in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palm Springs, Toronto, and Montreal. Services include special commission-based art, art renderings by scale, framing, local delivery and installation, and shipping worldwide.
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Media Contact:
Jennifer Kostuik via EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc.
1070 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2W9, Canada
T. 604.737.3969
E. info@kostuikgallery.com