February 1 – February 28, 2021
The Slide Room Gallery is pleased to introduce you to five Canadian visual artists from the BOXCARSIX Artist Collective: Mary Babineau, Joanne Hewko, Jessica Jean Kuyper, Fern Long and Clare Thomas. This exhibition comes from their independent art practices and highlights some of their most recent work. Despite working in separation, the artists have been drawn to common themes and to using similar materials. paperscapes is a playful investigation of the versatility of paper and imaginatively explores invented landscapes and cityscapes.

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paperscapes by BOXCARSIX Artist Collective (slideshow view)

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Artist Statement

paperscapes is a collection of works depicting imaginary places inspired by the freedom, joy and healing of being outdoors. Although working in separate studios, the members of BOXCARSIX artist collective have been investigating similar ideas and materials: each of us drawn to using paper to create art about outside places and to create an escape.

Mixed media, cut-paper lines, found cardboard, drawing contours, discarded magazines and fragments of maps come together to form fictional places and new terrains. These lighthearted works reflect our need to explore fictional worlds and enjoy the satisfaction of creating works with paper.

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What is BOXCARSIX?

The BOXCARSIX Artist Collective are a group of emerging artists from the Victoria, BC area, who share a feminist, contemporary perspective. We work together to support and challenge each other in our individual practices; develop an audience through exhibitions and residencies; and create opportunities for the local community to engage in creative workshops.

Since 2019 we have expanded our collective practice to include large scale collaborative pieces allowing these many viewpoints to coalesce into a single shared vision, such as our installation of “Inside” with the City of Victoria’s Storefront Project, and “Postcards from the Pandemic” – a community based mail art project.

Learn more about the BOXCARSIX Artist Collective by checking out their website and by following them on Instagram.

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paperscapes by BOXCARSIX Artist Collective (gallery view)

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Artist Biographies

Mary Babineau holds a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia and is a graduate of the Vancouver Island School of Art Diploma Program. Her oil paintings combine elements from personal travel photos and the imagination, representation and abstraction, drawing and personal motifs. She is also inspired by and works with re-purposed and discarded materials. Babineau reflects on the movement of time, presence and how hope dwells in urban environments.

To see more work by Mary Babineau, follow her on Instagram!

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Working primarily in drawing, painting, and mixed media Joanne Hewko focuses on mark-making and personal expression, emphasizing mood and gesture. Exploring the territory that is between representation and abstraction, Joanne uses source material, photographs, and observations from the physical world as a point of departure for artistic investigations. Joanne Hewko is a graduate from the Vancouver Island School of Art with a Diploma in Fine Art, and a bachelor degree in Interior Design from the University of Manitoba.

To see more work by Joanne Hewko, check out her website and follow her on Instagram!

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Jessica Jean Kuyper is a paper artist who uses her scalpel to create whimsical layered-paper escapes. Her works are strongly tied to her experience of the world about her, encapsulating the moments of curiosity that enrich her senses. In the slowing down of the paper cutting process, she is able to re-visit these moments and delve deeper into the sense of joy they bring. Jessica Jean lives in Sooke, BC, Canada. She obtained a BFA from the University of Gloucestershire, UK, and a Diploma of Fine Art from the Vancouver Island School of Art, Victoria, Canada.

To see more of Jessica Jean Kuyper’s work, follow her on Instagram!

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Fern Long is a Victoria artist whose work explores the spaces we inhabit and how we move through them, both physically and emotionally. Combining everyday domestic objects, text and collage her work creates open ended narratives that move between recognition and abstraction to evoke not only a sense of place but of connection and memory.  

To see more of Fern Long’s work, check out her website and follow her on Instagram!

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Clare Thomas uses found and domestic materials, and combines art and craft techniques, to create a body of drawings, paintings and sculptures whose narrative is both deeply autobiographical and universal. Thomas holds an MA in Art and Environment from the University of Falmouth, UK, and her work has been shown in Canada, the UK and Germany. She lives in Victoria, BC, where she is a founding member of BOXCARSIX Artist Collective.

To see more of Clare Thomas’ work, check out her website and follow her on Instagram!

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Thank you for viewing paperscapes, a digital exhibition by BOXCARSIX Artist Collective members: Mary Babineau, Joanne Hewko, Jessica Jean Kuyper, Fern Long and Clare Thomas. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Please stay tuned for new exhibitions coming soon.

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©BOXCARSIX Artist Collective. Images courtesy of the artists.