We acknowledge with respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional
territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt
and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land
continue to this day.

Foreword

Where do I start? The last year has been a remarkable period of altered expectations. Global conditions have mandated an increasingly divided population. That separation is amplified in digital spaces that used to be an escape from the physical world, but they are now a replacement. Video calls and message boards where we must now live are polarized in a way that forbids neutrality. The continuing threat of racial and gender-based violence and a rapidly changing climate governs our actions and language. In this context, and this isolation, our graduating class has remained dedicated to producing their art.

Upon returning to class in September, some of us were granted a break from isolation with face-to-face courses, while others stayed home and attended their classes remotely. This new way of being has prompted lessons in accessibility and asked every artist to reconsider their practice in some way. Because of this, our instructors have stepped into the role of emotional support and enabled creativity, allowing each of us to thrive. As we go on to make art outside of school, we do so in a changed world.

The End is an exhibition of 30 artists showing us the apex of their art, and representing the completion of a four-year visual arts program. Aptly named, it is the end to our time in school, the end to sharing studio space, and the end to online courses. It is also named in the hope that we may soon see an end to social isolation and physical distancing, and an end to limitations. However, through those limitations we have been forced to consider what is absolutely essential in our work. In many cases what has become essential is a feeling of comfort in the act of creation, or in the art itself. The essential truth of our moment is that we need each other. Without connection, art becomes irrelevant. When connection is difficult, art is absolutely essential.

As we transition from being art students to artists, we are reminded that endings are temporary. It is a passage and a moment to reflect. The End is only an end in the sense that a beginning requires one.

Nick Patterson
Exhibition Chair

BFA EXHIBITION COMMITTEES

EXHIBITION CHAIR

NICK PATTERSON

ASSISTANT TO THE CHAIR

JAMIE OOSTERHUIS

DOCUMENTATION

CHAIR: JAMIE OOSTERHUIS
LUNA ROSE
ERIN MUGFORD
BONNIE HOSOKAWA
LIZ BENTLEY

ONLINE EXHIBITION

CO-CHAIR: ALISON KLYMCHUK
CO-CHAIR: NICK PATTERSON
YUTING HUANG
BRANDON TAYLOR
EVA ZHENG

CURATORIAL

CO-CHAIR: EMILY KIRSCH
CO-CHAIR: JASPER VAN ALDERWEGEN
WINKY CHAN
BELLA GU
HERBIE QING
CATHERINE YU
XIN ZONG
ZOË ZUM

Thank you to all the faculty and staff who have supported us and given us the tools to embark on our new beginnings.