Kai Chan: In the Forest

A distinguishing feature of the Norah Rosamond Hughes Gallery, which is housed in the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, is its twenty-two concrete columns that march across the gallery’s interior. The first time Kai Chan entered this space, he felt the commanding presence of these columns that, like trees, materialize both the density and the in-between spaces of the forest.

This dynamic impression has stayed with him and has integrally informed the work he has created for this gallery installation. As Kai Chan has lived in busy urban centres all of his life, when he thinks of, or encounters, forests, his ongoing impression is one of mystery. Forests invite us into their depth to navigate mazes of trees, assorted foliage, and meandering – often disappearing – paths.

Once we are inside a forest, its all-encompassing canopy encourages us to linger, to take the time to walk about and most likely discover unexpected sights.

These are the sensory elements Kai Chan has tried to instill in his work here and with which he hopes gallery visitors will identify as they experience this art installation.

From the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

(images: Laurie Weir)