Victoria Collects Asian Art 2000

People are surprised at how much Asian art can be found in Victoria. The AGGV and the Asian Art Society of Victoria have prepared an exhibition of Asian art found in private collections in Victoria.

One connoisseur has a fine collection of approximately 700 painted shells in two lacquer containers from 18th century Nagasaki, Japan. Other…

The Whimsical World of Japanese Banko Ceramics

Carol Potter Peckham of San Francisco ? who previously donated a large collection of Chinese Yixing stoneware pieces to the AGGV ? has recently donated several Banko earthenware pieces, as well as lending many more pieces for this exhibition.

Historical information on Banko ware is quite scarce. A 17th century Tokyo potter named Banko made pottery…

Artful Transformations

Humour, whimsy, irony and sincere flattery. All of these come into play as 40 significant contemporary Canadian artists artfully re-interpret 12 works from the Gallery?s permanent collection ? ranging from Maxwell Bates? Odalisque to Emily Carr?s Lagoon at Albert Head and Tang Dynasty Bactrian Camel tomb figurines and more.

Artists often respond generously to requests with…

Field Notes from Maternal Territory: an Exhibition about Mothering

In this multi-media installation, artists Margaret Naylor and jil p. weaving explore the experience of mothers within North American culture, an identity constructed by mass media, popular language, history and personal experience. The exhibition includes sculpture, photography, painting and a web site. Naylor and weaving present complex issues with humour and insight.

Through a series of…

Tibetan Mandala & Butter Sculptures

Eight Tibetan Monks from the Dzongkar Choede Monastery create a rare three-dimensional wooden mandala. One of the most impressive ritual performances in the Tibetan tradition, this is a North American first. A mandala is a circular design which represents the spiritual environment where deities live. It looks like a circle containing a symmetrical walled palace,…

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Victoria is blessed with clement winter weather. This is not so elsewhere and, as a gentle reminder, our curators have selected a number of works from the permanent collection which depict the snow that so defines Canada?s winter season. More than 30 paintings and prints ? including a magnificent painting by W.P. Weston entitled Snow…

Sword of the Samurai

Samurai, the famous warriors of ancient Japan, live by a strict code of honour known as bushido which dealt with their moral and intellectual obligations as civil rulers. The most important ideals of the samurai were personal loyalty to one?s lord and martial bravery.

It has been said that the ?sword is the soul of the…

Propaganda, Advertising & Graphic Arts in 20th Century China

This exhibition includes all sorts of graphic materials made in China during the 20th century: woodblock prints, propaganda posters, advertising posters, firework labels, joss paper, decorative wrapping paper and New Year?s Eve prints which were hung every year for good luck.

The wood block prints show the influence of the old Soviet Union?s socialist realism: the…

Ivan Eyre Conspectus: Myth, Memory and the Studio Paintings from 1956 ? 1998

Ivan Eyre is one of Canada?s most important visual artists of his generation. This exhibition features 28 of his paintings produced over the duration of his career that now spans more than 40 years. The astonishing paintings of this highly-acclaimed Canadian artist investigate the richness of the subconscious.

The paintings on display are the result of…