Photo by Ava Cochrane, A Chair for My Mother, 2017

Please join us on International Women’s day, Wed, March 8th, from 5-7pm for the opening of the Gender & The Lens exhibition at:

Ada Slaight Student Gallery, OCAD University
100 McCaul Street, 2nd floor (North side)
Wheelchair accessible

Artists Include: Maddie Alexander, Yuling Chen, Clea Christakos-Gee, Ava Cochrane, Mara Gajic, Antonio Giacchetti, Raelene Giffin, Ashley Hiltz, Jesse King,  Morgan Sears Williams, Michael Seleski, Farihah Shah, Alia Youssef Curated by Jennifer Long and Clare Samuel

L to R:  Farihah Shah, Laden Hands, 2017, Michael Seleski, Spectrum, 2016, Alia Youssef, Rayhanah, 2016

The exhibit runs from Mon, March 6 to Sat, March 11 and showcases artworks by feminist-minded students and recent graduates from Ryerson and OCAD University whose artwork explores themes of gender through lens-based mediums.  Within this installation is a slideshow entitled When The Light Shifts, by members of WildFires: Women Photographers Network in Scotland.  This initiative is part of an  ongoing series of research and networking events  between Napier (Edinburgh) University,  Ryerson University and OCAD University that focus on gender and photography.  

L to R: Ashley Hiltz, selection from A Woman’s Guide manual, 2016, Clea Christakos-Gee, Alexandra Rose, 2016

In Fall 2016, a collaboration was formed through faculty members Mary-Ann Kennedy (Napier University), Jennifer Long (OCAD University), Katherine Parhar (Napier University) and Clare Samuel (Ryerson & OCAD University). With a focus on research and creating networks to explore current trends in gender and photography, we began piloting projects in Edinburgh and Toronto with the goal of sharing information and providing opportunities for art creation and dialogue.  The Gender & The Lens exhibition is the first public presentation of this network and in May 2017, we begin our first collaborative project, Create & Converse.  This research hub will be an online platform dedicated to artworks and dialogue by lens-based artists exploring themes related to gender.

L to R : Yuling Chen, still from Adios, Catalonia, 2016, Morgan Sears Williams, still from Stop, 2017

L to R:  Raelene Giffin, Gatherer, 2016, Mara Gajic, Untitled, from The Room series, 2014

Maddie Alexander, Antonio Giacchetti, & Jesse King, still from Interaction, 2016