Narwhal is pleased to present Three Knocks, a group exhibition featuring new work by Katy Horan, Adrienne Kammerer and Jamiyla Lowe. Using darkness as a starting point, each artist has created a body of work through a monochromatic medium. Drawing inspiration from the despair and dramatics found in antiquated practices, superstitions and folklore, the artists reveal glimpses into the corners of our collective memory, illuminating mortal fears and the practices developed to control the human condition that plagues us all. Three Knocks runs from November 11-December 5, 2011. A public opening reception will be held on November 11 from 7-10pm.

Katy Horan examines female roles and representation found throughout history, art and mythology. Creating portraits from painting, drawing and paper collage, Horan’s work combines delicate textures and intricate line work with loose experimentation. Emphasizing form, detail and gesture, Horan’s subjects are masked in elaborately decorated mourning costumes and ghostly shrouds. Her figures are at once identifiable yet ambiguous, allowing for focus on the interior structure and detail within each character. Inspired by Victorian death rituals, Katy explores the connections between the mourning and bereaved. Horan is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design illustration program. She currently resides in Austin, Texas and has been collaborating with Narwhal since 2008.

Adrienne Kammerer’s exquisite graphite drawings depict an ongoing narrative exploring the history of magic set in a fictitious past. Through beautifully rendered figurative portraits and environments, Kammerer intuitively combines historic folklore with documented and imagined instances of magic, mythology and the occult. Drawing influence from the fear and superstitions rooted in childhood, Kammerer’s images conjure memories of the past while offering a subtly dark humor indicative of their present existence. Adrienne Kammerer is a self taught artist hailing from Burlington, Ontario. Currently residing in Toronto, Kammerer has been collaborating with Narwhal since 2009.

Jamiyla Lowe creates grotesque and bizarre imagery through finely detailed ink drawings. Focusing on antiquated practices once prevalent in sideshows, circuses and ritual, Lowe explores the macabre and often unrealized relationships between people and creatures. Depicting a startling accurate and darkly humorous portrayal of the human condition, Lowe’s apt observations create theatrical images that explore the ongoing tendency of humans to inject cruelty and humiliation into various forms of living and entertainment. Lowe is a graduate of the OCAD illustration program and currently lives in Toronto. She has been collaborating with Narwhal since 2009.

Opening reception:
Friday Nov 11th
7-10pm
Artists will be in attendance

Runs Nov 11 – Dec 4, 2011

For information, artwork availability or press preview:
contact@narwhalartprojects.com


Katy Horan


Adrienne Kammerer


Jamiyla Lowe