Show & Tell Gallery Pt. 02

Tessar Lo - Everything we wanted, in our nostalgic future,

This will be Tessar Lo's first exhibition in Canada. A series of paintings which contain a strong overall sense of a desire for an age of youth, innocence, and unparalleled fantasy and imagination. Even in a painting of a troubling scene, the paintings still seem to maintain a sense of serenity and youthfulness. Depicting capture scenes of a child's perspective on life or representations of a child's dreams, it is apparent that the child is most likely the artist himself. Interestingly, examining the title of the exhibition itself, it further speaks to this point not by what it says, but more importantly by how it is punctuated; the improper use of punctuation would suggest that Tessar Lo is completely trying to embody the child depicted by even writing like a child. The collection speaks of a child's most significant moments, providing a cohesive narrative.

Show & Tell Gallery is proud to welcome Tessar Lo to his first Canadian solo exhibition and first exhibition with the gallery. This body of work titled "everything we wanted, in our nostalgic future," reflects on the vastness and importance of wonder, a feeling that is often lost with the maturing in to adulthood. The narrative in these works is universal, stories that speak to the soul, creating a feeling of awe, comfort, and inspiration, all the while embracing the imagination. The combination between narration and wonder creates vignettes of possibilities, dreamscapes with no specific time and of no specific location, genuine moments which occur with in us all.

Making a conscious decision to work with simple shapes and explore different textures Tessar aims to achieve a tranquil flatness that speaks of stillness. This concept is based on the fact that so much of society is glazed over and superficial, yet we all have the potential to feel and be moved if we choose to let go and be "little" even for just a moment. Giving a slight nod to naïve painting, this body of work resonates with the same humility of creating without necessarily utilizing polished techniques but exploring the basic desires and passions we all have when we allow ourselves to let down our guard and embark on the feeling of wonder.

Tessar speaking about the show:

"This body of work I am painting in a means that is blatantly narrative. Often there is a stigma in using narrative in painting, yet it's the thing our lives and histories are based upon. We live and learn from the stories of others, through tradition or plain word of mouth - all the while creating our own. These stories can be as big or as little as you make them, but hopefully have elements that can affect any one of us deeply."
Tessar immigrated to Canada with his family from Indonesia in 1989. Though he is culturally Indonesian and Canadian, his Chinese ethnicity played a major part in his maturing as an artist. Influenced by the mysticism of Asian cultures and coupled with the multiculturalism of Canadian society, Tessar takes a universal approach to his artistic practice. His attitude toward image-making is much the same as his outlook on life, to posses the understanding of how vast the world really is. Tessar often uses mixed media to create whimsical, thought provoking paintings that delve into the universal constants of humanity. A calming look in to the human soul. Tessar strives to make art that can transcend his native cultures into a language we all can understand.