The Avenue Gallery - 2184 Oak Bay Ave.
Bi Yuan Cheng, whose works – including new pieces – will be at the Avenue Gallery this month, seemed born to become an artist.
Born in 1957 and raised in Jinan, China, Bi began practicing art at age five. By eleven, he was mentored by one of China's most prestigious art professors who further developed his already considerable skills in oil and watercolour. Their 10-year teacher-student relationship greatly influenced Bi's future success.
In 1983, Bi graduated magna cum laude from ZiangXi Art University. In 1987, Bi’s distinguished career was recognized with the title of “Chinese Art Master” and in 1989, he was accepted into the prestigious Chinese Encyclopedia of Art.
Ever since Bi immigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1990, he has focused on capturing the beauty of the Canadian landscape. His work is defined by calligraphic brushwork, mastery of light and a refined use of colour.
Also at Avenue Gallery this month: unique works of glass that artist Jo Ludwig calls "T.O.B's: Things of Beauty."
The South African born artist creates his jewel-like works using a two-stage process of fusing multiple layers of glass then slumping them in a glass kiln.
Ludwig cuts layers of glass into desired shapes, then assembles them on a shelf in a glass kiln and heats them until they fuse into a single piece. The work can then be sandblasted, ground or even recut.
The top layer is dichroic glass, a material invented in the 1960's by NASA that reflects stunningly bright colours that radiate light. It's this material that really makes the pieces boldly shine.
Finally, The Avenue Gallery features paintings by Corre Alice celebrating floral beauty.
Alice is an admirer of flowers in her work, capturing their essence intuitively with the approach of abstract expressionists. Her work dances between emotion and intellect, placing an emphasis on capturing colour and joy while channelling her personal creativity.
She is not afraid to play with bold shapes and contrasts, and a range of colour harmonies: everything from soft pastels to vibrant, intense hues, making each piece stand out.
Visit theavenuegallery.com for more.
Madrona Gallery - 606 View St.
Madrona Gallery's annual Colours of Summer exhibition opens July 6 through Aug. 10 and features a selection of staff favourites and new works by gallery artists. This exhibition rotates throughout the summer season to showcase the gallery's stable of artists and highlight the diversity of artistic voices across Canada. A special selection of important historic Canadian works will also be on display.
An opening reception takes place July 6 from 1-3 p.m.
Visit madronagallery.com for more.
