From February 7th to March 5th, we are excited to be showing fascinating oil-on-panel pieces in Bred in the Bone by local artist, Kristina Campbell, in the Cornerstone Cafe.

You are invited to the opening for this show on Thursday, February 9th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Cornerstone Cafe.

 

 

Bred in the Bone

The latest series of paintings by Kristina Campbell have been inspired by her recent travels to Denmark. Campbell was born in Canada to parents who emigrated from Denmark in the 1960’s. Surprised by her fascination with all things Danish, she has spent a great deal of time recently in Denmark. While friends and family are certainly part of the draw, she has felt a huge affinity with the relics of the Viking period and history, spending a great deal of her time visiting museums and researching the history of the Vikings and their culture and mythology. The imagery of the Vikings, the writing in Runes, and the strength of the Viking culture has all inspired this latest series. Numerous trips to the Viking graveyard at Lindholm’s Hoje in Northern Jutland have also been the source of video footage for Campbell’s video work.

In this series, Bred in the Bone, Campbell continues her work on wooden cradle panels, carving the Runes and imagery into the surface, and using oil to paint and stain the surface with her favorite palette of red and gold. The paintings are immediately identifiable as hers, and yet the subject matter is a complete departure from her former nudes.

Looking for meaning in the symbols of a lost culture, allowing the imagery to meld with her distinctive sensibility as a painter, Campbell evokes the past, draws strength and power from it, while simultaneously placing it in the sensual space and time of the present.

 

 

Bio

Graduating from University of Victoria in 2009 (BFA Honours) Kristina Campbell is a Victoria, BC based multimedia artist. Recent work has been featured in exhibitions at the Royal BC Museum, Open Space, Martin Batchelor and now at the Cornerstone. Working primarily in video or oil on panel, in either medium her work is sensual, quietly powerful and very personal. Her award winning feature-length documentary Searching For Emily formed part of The Other Emily exhibition at the Royal British Columbia Museum in 2011. Recent oil on panel paintings will be showing at the Cornerstone through February, and Campbell’s recent video work will be shown  in an up-coming  solo exhibition  at Martin Batchelor Gallery in May 2012. A strong believer in supporting the communities that support her, Campbell frequently creates videos for non-profit organizations such as Women’s Transition House, Victoria Riding for the Disabled, or the Canadian Paralympic Soccer Association to assist them with their promotion and community education roles. Kristina Campbell serves on the Board of Directors at Media-net, a local member-run video co-operative. Her work has been shown and collected throughout North America, Denmark and Bhutan.