UNITED CONTEMPORARY

💥 Join us this Saturday for the opening of 𝙩𝙬𝙤 exhibitions at United Contemporary! From 2-5pm, drop by the gallery to meet 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 and 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸 and celebrate their newest bodies of work.

𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 presents 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙, a dynamic new series of paintings that explore themes of community surveillance and the commodification of personal data.

Created during a profound period of grief and loss, 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸 produced her newest body of work 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣, which serves as an unearthing, explored through veiled self-portraits of the body in intimate commune with the natural world.

🗓️ Both of these exhibitions runs until November 9.
Simon Andrew, Sydenham Street 2, Skeleton Park Series, Oil on canvas, 84 x 120 in.

Sarah Dinnick, ‘Initiation,’ Archival pigment print, framed in walnut with UV anti-reflective glass
20 x 30 in., Edition of 5

📣 This Saturday, at the Grimsby Public Art Gallery, join artist 𝗛𝘂𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗺 for an artist talk and collage workshop from 2-4pm. Curated by Caitlin Sutherland, 𝙔𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 marks the artists first major solo exhibition in a public art gallery, and runs until November 16.

Lam’s artistic journey is deeply intertwined with his personal history and philosophy. His work, influenced by meditative practices, serves as both a reflection of and a response to the challenges of the modern world. Through his thoughtful compositions and material choices, Lam seeks to create a sense of balance and healing for himself and his audience. His ability to relinquish control and let materials guide his creative process showcases his technical skills and underscores his commitment to self-improvement and emotional understanding. — Tak Pham

📍Grimsby Public Art Gallery
18 Carnegie Ln, Grimsby, ON L3M 1Y1

Tomorrow is your last chance to view the poignant 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗡𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗮 & 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻 exhibition, 𝙂𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜. In their individual practices, Nishimura and Sormin embark on personal journeys in collaboration with their family members, seeking to recall and unravel the intricate tapestries of their family histories.

The gallery is open today and Saturday, 11am-6pm.
Emma Nishimura, ‘Shikata ga nai: It cannot be helped’, Photo etching on gampi with thread, framed in natural wood, 36.5 x 12 in., Varied edition of 2

Linda Sormin, ‘Sadie dao (how far?)’, Stoneware and porcelain, sgraffito, epoxy, resin, 11 x 40.25 x 5 in.

✨UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS! 🌷United Contemporary is delighted to present 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣, a reflective suite of photographic works by 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸. Created during a profound period of grief and loss, these pieces serve as an unearthing, explored through veiled self-portraits of the body in intimate commune with the natural world.

🏡 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 presents 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙, a dynamic new series of paintings that explore themes of community surveillance and the commodification of personal data. These lush abstractions are inspired by glitched street views sourced from Google, where the fragmented images serve as a metaphor for reclaiming power over his community.

Both shows will open at our Tecumseth Street address on October 3.
Sarah Dinnick, ‘Verdant 2’, Archival pigment print, framed in walnut with UV anti-reflective glass
6.7 x 10 in., Edition of 5

Simon Andrew, ‘Sydenham Street’, Oil on Canvas, 16 x 20 in.

💫 Congratulations to 𝗛𝘂𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗺 for the opening of 𝙔𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙, a solo exhibition at the Grimsby Public Art Gallery!

Marking Lam’s first major solo exhibition in a public art gallery, the work explores material-based practice, wellness culture, and photographic theory. Curated by Caitlin Sutherland, the kinetic mobile sculptures evoke a spiritual calm, while their delicate physical balance and asymmetric forms are purposefully reminiscent of traditional Chinese medicinal scales.


Opening reception: October 5, 2 – 4 pm with a free collage workshop, and publication launch with Huy Lam.
On October 19, Grimsby Public Art Gallery will host a Mobile Sculpture workshop based on Lam’s work.

👥 ✨𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪! ✨👥 Join us from 2-5pm to celebrate the opening of 𝙂𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 with 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗡𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗮 & 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻. Both artists will be present at our new 129 Tecumseth Street address, to discuss their distinct practices that explore identity, upheaval and personal ancestries.

Emma Nishimura is a Toronto-based artist who works with a range of media, including printmaking, photography, sculpture and installation and has exhibited nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of the Queen Sonja Print Award 2018. Emma Nishimura received her MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her BA from the University of Guelph, and is an Assistant Professor at OCAD University.

Born in Thailand, Linda Sormin immigrated to Canada at the age of five. Sormin lives and works in New York City, and is Associate Professor of Studio Art at New York University. Sormin’s work has recently been shown at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Seattle Museum with a site specific installation as part of the major exhibition’Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence’, and has exhibited at MASS MoCA, MA, and Peach Corner Gallery, Copenhagen, and Messums in Wiltshire, UK.

🕰️ 𝙂𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 runs from August 22-September 28.

Photo credit (Nishimura portrait): Anna Gaby-Trotz

Photo credit (Sormin portrait): David Schmitz

📓 From the studio of 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗡𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗮 in preparation for 𝙂𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, an upcoming exhibition with 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻. Nishimura looks to revisit an early series, Bachan’s Patterns, which was foundational to the artist’s practice and ongoing research that is focused on the experiences her family and thousands of other Japanese Canadians endured throughout their forced incarceration during the Second World War.

📆 𝙂𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 by 𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗡𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗮 & 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻 opens on August 22 at our new address, 129 Tecumseth Street.

💭 As we prepare for the big move to our new address on Tecumseth Street, here are some highlights and sweet memories from the last five years in our dreamy Dupont space!

1. Gordon Shadrach, ‘Trade’ 2021
2. Works in Practice, Group show curated by Adrien Sun Hall, Contact Festival, 2023
3. Emma Nishimura, ‘Rememory: Echoes and Archives’, 2023
4. ‘From the Inside (Looking Out)’, Group Show, 2022
5. Ryan Van Der Hout, ‘Collecting Dust’, 2022
6. Linda Sormin, ‘In & Out of Order’, 2022
7. ‘Ready for Hearth’, Group Show, 2024
8. Chuck Beamish, ‘Tracking North’, 2020
9. A youthful Burke Paterson in the Toronto Star, 2004

💫 We will be opening at 129 Tecumseth Street in August, with a two-person exhibition by Emma Nishimura and Linda Sormin.

💫🧶🥂 Final day! Today is the closing day of 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚 by 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲, and the last in our beautiful Dupont space! Drop by between 11am-6pm to view this thoughtful body of work by the Montreal-based textile artist, and say “see you later” as we prepare to relocate to our new Tecumseth address. 👋

👀 A breathtaking view, with the work of 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗻 and 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁 for an evening of Indigenous Heritage and Culture on the 40th floor at EY Tower in downtown Toronto. Curated by Ashley McKenzie-Barnes, this unique event looks to amplify the rich tapestry of Indigenous heritage through the lens of these brilliant contemporary artists.
claxton

⏳This is your final week to view 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚 by Montreal-based artist 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲, and bid farewell to our current Dupont space!

Directly inspired by the 19th Century scientific works of Orra White Hitchcock, Price worked with the archives at Amherst College by taking macro photographs of the original geological charts rendered in ink and watercolour on fabric. Rather than looking at the compositions as a whole, Price focused her lens on moments of material articulation where pigment would bleed into fabrics, transgressing the boundaries of the renderings. It is through these small transgressions that Orra’s hand could be most keenly felt. — Text by Stanzie Tooth

The gallery is open 11am-6pm, from Wednesday to Saturday, or by appointment.

📣 𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 (𝗕𝗜𝗚) 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀! 📣 We are thrilled to announce that United Contemporary is moving to 𝟙𝟚𝟡 𝕋𝕖𝕔𝕦𝕞𝕤𝕖𝕥𝕙 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥. After 35 years, Birch Contemporary will be closing its doors, paving the way for us to relocate to this beautiful and iconic space in the Queen West gallery neighbourhood.

After a wonderful five years at our Dupont location, we are excited to launch our new Tecumseth address in August for a two-person exhibition by Emma Nishimura & Linda Sormin. Stay tuned for details!

📍New address:
129 Tecumseth St.
Toronto, ON M6J 2H2

We wish Robert of Birch Contemporary all the best with his next chapter and thank him for his brilliant contribution to the Toronto art scene and community.

We look forward to welcoming you to our new Tecumseth gallery!

💫 What a delight to host The Power Plant members of the Circle of Contemporaries, and a privilege to have the Director of Craft and Design at the Harbourfront, 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗘𝗴𝗮𝗻, share so much insight into the textile practice and process of 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲. Thank you to all who attended for the wonderful conversations, as we delved into the history, misconceptions and contemporary methods of weaving.

𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚 by 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 closes very soon, on July 13! The gallery is open from 11am-6pm, Wednesday to Saturday or by appointment.

〰️ Gallery views of 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚 by Montreal-based artist 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲. 〰️

Throughout her oeuvre, Price has posed questions about our human relationship with the earth, disrupting our material assumptions to their core. A boulder is not a given, not a static thing, it is the outcome of millions of small events over millions of moments. It is each grain of sand. It is every minute. By exposing the underpinnings of our natural world, Price makes us stop and consider our place in these cycles. We are each a single thread in the tapestry of time. — Text by Stanzie Tooth

With thanks to the support of the Superframe Framing Fund.