The Biennial presents a special focus on Winsom, honoring her influence on Toronto's art scene. The exhibition brings together an array of her paintings and whittlings, including 8 paintings and one mixed media installation. This selection of works, created from 1995 to 2024, provides visitors with an insight into her unique approach of bridging the terrestrial and the spiritual realms. This connection is achieved through the use of dreams, visions, and symbols, offering alternative perspectives of the world. The artist strives to revive our comprehension of spirituality and employs various strategies to render the unseen visible.
The mixed media art installation, titled Travelling Time (2024), stands as the centerpiece of Winsom's exhibition. It symbolizes our unique life journeys. The uses a tree metaphor to depict growth and the passage of time, akin to the increasing rings of a tree trunk. Nine branches, representing a rich life, extend upwards, adorned with mementos. Rooted in concentric circles, they symbolize grounding and centering, with the number 9 dedicated to the Goddess Oya. Metal snakes depict rebirth, while altars to the five elements awaken us as we journey through time. The work encourages reflection on our transformation and renewal, and the experiences we carry with us. For the artist, this installation is a celebration of our sacred journey in the universe, connecting us to the great dance of time.
Winsom Winsom is a child of the universe and a multimedia artist, educator, and activist. She employs various mediums-including textiles, painting, video, installation, and puppetry-to explore human spirituality and its connection to earthly experiences. Her paintings are characterized by bold colours, dynamic brushstrokes, spiritual themes, and a sense of movement and energy. Since the mid-1980s, her work, which is often inspired by subconscious thoughts and Afrocentric values, has been displayed globally. Winsom's travels through West Africa significantly influenced her artistry.
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