May 14 - May 25, 2024 Daughter, Asha Hall, and father, Nick Hall, create work regarding themes of the passing of time and mortality with different lenses; from Asha’s perspective, the thought of growing up brings fear and reminiscence for simpler days. The younger artist leans on photographic archives taken by Jagoda, her mother. These images contain uneven compositions with entirely unintentional cropping and lighting - something that Asha leans into when recreating these images to provoke nostalgia. Nick, on the other hand, uses his body of work to come to terms with his mortality and in turn find beauty in it. Through observing decaying flowers, Nick finds tenderness in the wilting and rotting, an element that he uses as a metaphor for his own aging, as well as the rapid change of the world around him. Both bodies of work can be seen in conversation; Asha’s end expresses her fear of the unexpected and longs for what has been, her father visually responds, echoing comforting reassurance about the future. This exhibition ran from May 14th until May 25th, and the opening reception took place on May 16, from 6PM - 9PM. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Nick has been actively painting for many years and was offered a solo show in London Ontario at the age of 21. In terms of subject matter and perspective, his approach is based largely on simply paying attention to what he pays attention to. The process of painting then becomes an exploration into what it is that the subject is trying to say. Portraits are always compelling, however as of late abandoned architectural forms are his passion. Design plays a strong role in his work, as does color, light and a feeling of solitude. Influences of note include Lucian Freud, Christopher Pratt, Gottfried Helnwein, David Hockney, Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, Jenny Saville. While reasonably proficient in watercolors, casein and acrylics, the medium of choice is oil on panel. After a life-long career of writing and designing award-winning work for commercial means, it is vitally important that his paintings be accountable to no one else but the artist himself. Asha Hall is an emerging artist based in Toronto whose work delves into nostalgia, grief, parental attachment, the acceptance of mortality, and the loss of childhood. After recently completing her Bachelors of Fine Art at one of Canada’s leading art and design schools, Hall hopes to continue building her visual language and create work that is meaningful to her. Through large scale oil paintings, Hall continues to work through her emotions surrounding maturing, and aims to create work that can be relatable to those of all ages; whether it is a parent reminiscing on their own children or a young adult such as herself taking a moment to transport themselves back in time. Surrendering fully to the photograph, she enjoys the erratic compositions that arise from such images. In the future, Hall will continue to develop similar themes through various means of expression.