#4 - CityState Studio & CoDesign Studio
This renovated second floor of a heritage building in the heart of Moody Centre has been transformed into a modern, creative space bustling with urban planners and designers, alongside co-work members who want a quiet place to work outside the home.
CoDesign Studio is the creative vision of Gaetan Royer, and a proud sponsor of the Ioco Players and other local arts groups.
Address: 2nd Floor, 2414 Saint Johns Street, Port Moody
Website: https://www.silkgallery.ca/
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Exhibiting Artists
Claire Sower
Claire Sower is based in Vancouver, Canada, where she was born and raised. Claire began painting in 2007. In 2009, within weeks of starting her first classes, she had rented a small studio where she spent all available time. In 2012, she joined the Federation of Canadian Artists, where she also took classes. In 2013, she was offered a solo exhibit at West Vancouver City Hall, which launched her professional career. She has exhibited in New York and Toronto and her work hangs in private collections across North America and the UK and in the public collections of the VGH + UBC Foundation and the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation. She is known for her vibrant oil paintings of still life and landscapes. Claire also works in textiles and surface print design and is in the process of developing prints for her own women's luxury clothing line.
“I am drawn to bold colour and impasto techniques, particularly in my floral motifs on canvas. My subjects, no matter the medium I work in, remain florals, water, ponds, and beautiful spaces. During the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown, I did a series of paintings that explored gardens, and our use of those spaces to connect with each other during the lockdown. Painting that series renewed my love of nature. It made me realize what a subtle and undervalued role it plays in our lives, possibly now, when our world is so under threat, more than ever.
This recent collection of work includes new pieces that explore the sublime beauty of nature’s organic shapes, and the raw beauty of human architecture and its use of hard lines. In all my work the overarching theme is the use of colour in the manipulation of emotion.”
Golriz Rezvani
Visual artist Golriz Rezvani has been working as an artist for over twenty years and has been participating in group, and solo exhibitions and contests. She is interested in creating a surreal world that narrates day-to-day life. In most of her pieces, human beings play the main role in telling a story. Mixed media is what she uses most to create her pieces. Golriz was born in Iran and holds her master’s in fine arts. She currently works and lives in Vancouver, BC where she teaches at Emily Carr University, Vancouver Film School and Shadbolt Art Centre.
“I am captivated by the idea of creating an otherworldly realm where every piece of art weaves its narrative tapestry. Within most of my creations, humanity takes center stage as the principal storyteller. Some tales are imbued with the essence of nostalgia and long-lost memories, while others reshape and re-envision religious stories through the lens of femininity. Through my art, I believe in the language of communication, sharing a vivid spectrum of emotions – from pain to joy, from perplexity to clarity, and beyond.
I also try to avoid the conveyance of a singular message, instead opting to carve out space for the audience’s interpretations. This deliberate approach allows the audience to engage, observe, and craft their narratives.”
Jeff Wilson
Jeff Wilson is an acrylic painter, living & working in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Growing up in Scotland, Jeff trained as a structural geologist & worked in mineral exploration around the world, settling in Vancouver in 2004. He subsequently took evening classes at Emily Carr University, kick-starting a hobby that transitioned to a full-time art practice in 2013.
Jeff has received a number of awards, including Finalist in the inaugural Saltspring National Art Prize & appearing in the CBC “Landscape Artist of the Year Canada '' TV show. Jeff has completed residencies at the Booth (Shetland, Scotland), Parks Canada’s Art in the Park (Revelstoke, BC), the Wallace Stegner House (Eastend, SK) and the Cassiar Cannery (Prince Rupert, BC).
Commercial representation includes Gray Sky Gallery (Seattle, WA), Hambleton Galleries (Kelowna, BC), Kube Gallery (Fort Langley, BC), Lipont Gallery (Richmond, BC) and Van Dop Gallery (New Westminster, BC.
“I love producing acrylic paintings with immediately recognizable subjects, in a distinctive style, defined by a combination of dynamic composition, subject and vibrant colour.
Originally from Scotland & trained as a geologist, I really get great inspiration from all kinds of aspects of Canadian life, including landscape, industry, history and culture. This has proven to be the case across a range of settings, in urban centres, rural prairie landscapes & the Far North. Recurring subjects range from architecture, natural landforms, vehicles and signage, to wildlife & portraits.
I keep my camera close & typically compile a large photographic record of chance encounters. Such photos capture the particular spontaneity & movement of a specific time & place. The combination of this spontaneity with a deliberate inspections required by the act of painting allows me to impose a consistent brushwork & palette to the piece.”
