Exhibition runs July 28—August 22, 2018

This exhibition is part of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition Program.

Curated by Xanthe Isbister

In 2017, Canadians celebrated 150 years as a nation. TREX Southeast thought it would be most appropriate to participate in Canada’s sesquicentennial by presenting a high-calibre Medicine Hat artist working in clay, a medium that is the bedrock of our region. Jenn Demke-Lange has combined traditional ceramic techniques, such as surface relief and overglaze, with digital illustrations to create a series of large porcelain plates. The overall narrative theme of these plates, and the exhibition as a whole, is based around her identity as both a Canadian and a mother: “Recollecting my own personal experiences camping as both a child and in motherhood, this body of work celebrates the experience of wilderness and its ability to decivilize. It can be a strange sort of power to relax into forgetfulness, escape from reality and slip into a more simplistic life.

Jenn Demke-Lange, originally from Calgary, Alberta, graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design with a major in ceramics. She maintains a studio practice in Medicine Hat, Alberta, producing handmade ceramic objects (from tableware to jewelry) that are canvases for her hand-drawn illustrations. Her illustrations are often inspired by children’s books and depict common activities relatable to childhood experiences. For the artist, they are interpretations of her relationship with her children—visual archives of daily interactions along with contributions from a healthy imagination and reflections of her past.