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Greetings!
With nature’s new year here, the growth and wonder of spring are echoed in all that awaits you on your next visit to the gallery. Notable new works have arrived from the studios of Steven Volpe and Barry Hodgson. Our Solo Exhibition Series continues with Anja Karisik’s Strata of Memory coming up in May. Save the date for her opening reception Saturday, May 3, and join the artist in celebration of her first solo exhibition with Ingram Gallery.
A new installation of the innovative porcelain and stoneware works of Luke Pestl is on view now in the main gallery, complemented by the elegant sculptures of Frances Gage, RCA (1924-2017). We have new titles in Canadian art at The Book Shop, with much more to explore in this issue of Ingram Art News.
STEVEN VOLPE // Orangeville
| | Third Storey - oil on canvas, 46 x 32.5 inches | | |
Steven Volpe is known for his narrative-driven works that blend commonplace scenes with deeper metaphorical and allegorical meanings. His ability to weave subtle social commentary into soft-edged, lifelike imagery—often inspired by his own experiences—makes his work both personal and universally resonant.
Volpe’s Third Storey has arrived at the gallery and is a masterpiece. Both a study in how we see—how we physically look at things—and a play of contrasts, this luminous painting was inspired by the artist’s time contemplating an Eric Fischl bronze at Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. The monumental weight of the bronze is balanced by the light and loft of the figure. Volpe further shared insights on the pairing of composition and subject matter: 'There’s also a bit of what psychologists call "the chameleon effect"—the unconscious adoption of others’ mannerisms and gestures. The single bent arms of each figure, the parallel legs, and the overlapping inverted poses create a kind of central, unified mass in motion.’
BARRY HODGSON // Hamilton
| | Upper Fields, Thistlestone - oil on panel, 20 x 24 inches | | |
Barry Hodgson’s ability to marry control with freedom, abstraction with recognition, and personal history with universal appeal sets him apart as an artist who both captures and reimagines the essence of the natural world. He places immense importance on composition, viewing it as a ‘finely tuned web of relationships’ where every mark contributes to the structure. Despite his meticulous planning, Hodgson's works radiate a dynamic, almost impulsive energy. His landscapes often hover on the edge of abstraction, reducing natural forms to essential shapes and lines, which invites viewers to see the land in a fresh, distilled way.
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Process is everything. A unique experience is captured here in viewing Iris, Peonies and Roses as it took shape on Hodgson’s easel while the artist was immersed in the very subject matter of his garden.
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Iris, Peonies and Roses - oil on panel, 24 x 48 inches
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ANJA KARISIK // Toronto
When I began working toward this exhibition, I found myself drawn to the smaller moments in a landscape: the shimmer of sunlight on a lake's surface, the texture of weathered stones underwater, the quiet dance of grasses in the wind. These fragments of the natural world felt as alive and significant as any sweeping vista. By narrowing the view, I hope to expand the experience.
| | Blades of Light (Bedford Rd, Annex, Toronto) - oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches | | |
ANJA KARISIK
Strata of Memory
May 3 - 23, 2025
Opening Reception with the Artist:
// Saturday, May 3 // 1pm - 3pm
The works of Anja Karisik invite viewers to pause, feel, and reflect on their own relationship with the living landscape and the stories it holds. Her focus on interconnectedness reveals a reverence for nature’s complexity and beauty.
| | Riverine #1, #2 and #3 - oil on canvas, 30 x 10 inches (each) | | |
Based in Toronto, Karisik has created an exceptional body of work that journeys through the four seasons that define Canada and Canadians. Please contact us to request a preview, receive the Strata of Memory exhibition catalogue in advance, and stay tuned for our full Karisik feature ahead in the next issue of Ingram Art News.
LUKE PESTL // Toronto
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Community Service
stoneware, layered underglaze, slip, and glazes
18 x 16 x 16 inches
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JOYCE WIELAND, OC, RCA (1930-1998)
| | Goddess of the Weather, 1981 - oil on canvas, 30.25 x 40 inches | | |
On highlight at the gallery is Joyce Wieland's remarkable painting Goddess of the Weather. This 1981 canvas was first sold by the renowned Isaacs Gallery (Toronto) and is discussed in the catalogue Joyce Wieland | Art Gallery of Ontario, 1987 (p. 99). Wieland ties us back to the same public art gallery that inspired Volpe's Third Storey, as the retrospective Joyce Wieland: Heart On is on now at Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal.
Celebrating the radical art-making of Joyce Wieland (1930-1998), this large-scale exhibition offers an in-depth look at one of the most influential Canadian artists of her time.
FRANCES GAGE, RCA (1924-2017)
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Free Form III, 1984 - walnut, 18 x 11 x 8.5 inches
Featured in Frances Gage Sculptor | Art Gallery of Northumberland (p. 9)
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“Wood is my favourite medium. It is a hard taskmaster, for it dictates what one may do with it. Each carved chip reveals a new world of beauty of grain.” - Frances Gage, RCA (1924-2017)
We are elated to welcome the return of Sloan Oliver-Mitchell (formerly Sara Sniderhan) to the gallery. Old friends are joined by new as we also extend a most happy welcome to artist, musician, and chef Beaver Sheppard. Already in the mix and available at the gallery, the works of both artists will be explored—along with their exciting careers—in upcoming issues of Ingram Art News. Discover fresh inspiration and bold creativity this spring; visit the gallery to learn more and see their art now. It's the best when we are together in art at 24 Hazelton Avenue.
Tarah Aylward
Ingram Gallery Inc.
24 Hazelton Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
416-929-2220
X: @TorontoART
For the Love of Art | #AtTheGallery
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