Studio Visit and Artist’s Portrait

Xiao Han Solo Exhibition

Date: April 17- May 16

Location: The Gallery

Frances Morrison Central Library

Reception: April 29

Exhibition Statement

Xiao Han's upcoming solo exhibition, Studio Visit and Artist's Portrait, explores the changing landscape of the art world in the wake of the pandemic. As artists have adapted to new working styles, including producing art in home-based studios, Han, an SK-based artist-curator, seeks to build connections between artists and audiences through her unique art project that combines visual and curatorial practices.

Over the past year, Han has visited ten SK-based artists' studios, engaging in deep conversations about their current projects and the current working environment. Prior to each visit, Han conducted extensive research on each artist's previous work and prepared questions about their work and location of their studio. Through these visits, Han took photographs of each artist in their working environment, gaining a greater understanding of their work, working style, lifestyle, and how they fit into the (post-) pandemic environment.

Studio Visit and Artist's Portrait contextualizes a brief art scene for Saskatoon-based artists' studio life recovering through the pandemic. By visiting studios, taking pictures for the artists, and writing studio-visit reviews, Han provides a unique glimpse into the working lives of these artists, highlighting the importance of curators, dealers, and art organizers in supporting artists to focus on their own practice. Each artist's work, studio environment, and personality are presented as a unit, creating a comprehensive portrait of the Saskatoon art community.

This ongoing project aims to combine Han’s two specialties: photography and curatorial practice. The exhibition serves as an opportunity for Han to enhance her professional creativity and showcase her unique artistic vision. Through Studio Visit and Artist's Portrait, Han explores, researchs, connects, and reflects on the contemporary art scene in Saskatoon and across the prairies. Featuring the works of ten artists, this exhibition at The Gallery, Frances Morrison Central Library, is the first step in showcasing diverse communities and will extend to other areas as the project progresses.

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to explore the Saskatoon art community's response to the pandemic and the ways in which they have adapted to new working styles. Standing in front of the photographs and reading the studio-visit, the gallery audiences will gain a greater understanding of the working lives of these artists, and their resilience in the face of adversity. This exhibition is timely and relevant, offering a compelling portrait of the SK art scene during a period of great change.