Russna Kaur: Pierced into the air, the temper and secrets crept in with a cry

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Russna Kaur, “Untitled,” 2024

mock-up of site-based works in the Upper Galleries, acrylic on drywall (courtesy of the Gallery)

In the fall of 2024, Russna Kaur will be showcasing her site-specific work in the Audain Art Museum’s Upper Galleries entitled Pierced into the air, the temper and secrets crept in with a cry. Kaur approaches painting as a space of infinite possibility, play, and experimentation. This exhibition will unfold in the space as a dynamic series of modular works, where smaller paintings will evolve into large-scale compositions, constantly growing, shrinking, and shifting. The artist complicates the surfaces of her work by incorporating a diverse array of materials, including canvas, wood panel, textiles, acrylic paint, spray paint, oil pastels, handmade paper, and 3D printed elements.

A distinctive feature of this exhibition is the adaptive nature of the artworks to their surroundings. The pieces will extend beyond traditional boundaries, breaking through frames to engage with gallery walls, floors, and ceilings. Kaur will create site-specific installations by directly rendering onto the Museum walls, transforming them into an extension of the painted surfaces. The result will be an immersive experience where painted walls respond to and interact with the unique architecture of the gallery spaces. Through this work, Kaur will explore how the surface of a painting and the abstraction of form can unveil narratives that address complex personal and cultural histories. Visitors can anticipate encountering pieces that transcend the traditional confines of canvas, offering a deeper exploration of the relationship between art and space.

A key theme of the exhibition will be bold color combinations, as seen throughout Kaur’s work to date. Vibrant hues will draw inspiration from the spectacle of various gatherings and locales, such as amusement parks, community festivals, ceremonies, and religious spaces. The artworks will become sites of overstimulation, observance, and illusion.

Russna Kaur (b. 1991, Brampton, Ontario) is a painter currently living and working in Richmond, British Columbia. Kaur completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Waterloo (2013) and a Master of Fine Arts at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (2019). Kaur is the recipient of the Takao Tanabe Painting Prize (2020) and the IDEA Art Award (2020). She has been an artist-in-residence at the Burrard Arts Foundation (2020) in Vancouver and received the Centrum Emerging Artist Residency (2020) in Port Townsend, Washington.

Kaur has exhibited works nationally at institutions including the Remai Modern (2023), Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (2022), and Kamloops Art Gallery (2021). Upcoming exhibitions include those at Artspeak Art Gallery (2024) and the Audain Art Museum (2024). She was commissioned to create work for the Boren Banner Series at the Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA (2021) and has shown internationally in Mumbai, IN (2023). Kaur’s work is held in numerous collections including the TD Bank Collection, RBC Art Collection, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Surrey Art Gallery, and the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art. In 2020, the Audain Art Museum acquired Kaur’s They are midway between the sun and the moon.