Art Talkback Series
Featured artist Manuel Axel Strain invites local artists and cultural workers into a collaborative and reflective gathering at the Gallery. This informal series blends thoughtful conversation, community insight, and hands-on experiences, offering participants a chance to engage directly with the artworks and each other in a welcoming, interactive setting. Whether you’re an artist, art lover, or simply curious, come explore the exhibition in new ways.
Limited seating—RSVP appreciated.
Session 1: SF Ho, Multidisciplinary Artist
Join artist SF Ho for a fun and interactive look at the exhibition, focusing on how our sense of smell can change the way we experience art. This session is perfect for anyone curious about how our senses shape the way we connect with art. After the discussion, participants can take part in a hands-on activity using scented materials.
Please note: this session involves scented products and may not be suitable for those with sensitivities.
About the Presenters:
SF Ho is an artist living on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
S F Ho’s practice considers intersections of culture, history, and embodied experience from racialized, queer perspectives. Informed by a background in photography and performance art, they often incorporate language, sound, and gesture into their work. They also spend a lot of time thinking about math, plants, and perfume. They’re into community building, books, and being sort of boring. Ho has notably presented work through Simon Fraser University Galleries, Hangar (Lisbon), Art Metropole (Toronto), Galerie oqbo (Berlin), RAM Galleri (Oslo), the University of Toronto’s Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Their creative and critical writing has been published through House House Press, SPEC/FIC, Modern Painters, c magazine, West Coast Line, INTER: art actuel, Dysfyction, The Capilano Review, Charcuterie, Western Front, VIVO Media Arts Centre, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.
Artist website: s f ho
Manuel Axel Strain (pronouns they/them) is a 2-Spirit artist from the lands and waters of the xʷməθkʷəyəm (Musqueam), Simpcw and Syilx peoples, based in the sacred region of their q̓ic̓əy̓(Katzie) and qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen) relatives. Strain’s mother is Tracey Strain and father is Eric Strain, Tracey’s parents are Harold Eustache (from Chuchua) and Marie Louis (from nk̓maplqs), Eric’s Parents are Helen Point (from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) and John Strain (from Ireland). Although they attended Emily Carr University of Art + Design they prioritize Indigenous epistemologies through the embodied knowledge of their mother, father, siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents and ancestors.
Creating artwork in collaboration with and reference to their relatives, their shared experiences become a source of agency that resonates through their work with performance, land, painting, sculpture, photography, video, sound and installation. Their artworks often envelop subjects in relation with ancestral and community ties, Indigeneity, labour, resource extraction, gender, Indigenous medicine and life forces. Strain often perceives their work to confront and undermine the imposed realities of colonialism. Proposing a new space beyond its oppressive systems of power. They have contributed work to the Vancouver Art Gallery, Surrey Art Gallery, the UBCO FINA Gallery, were longlisted for the 2022 Sobey Award and were a recipient of the 2022 Portfolio Prize.
Artist website: Home | manuelaxelstrain
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This free public program is made possible from funding by the 2025 City of Richmond Arts & Culture Project Grant.
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