UPCOMING EXHIBITION | SISTERE
February 27 - March 23, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, February 27, 5-8PM
Artist in Attendance

The Art Gallery of Hamilton's Art Sales + Services is pleased to present Sistere, a solo exhibition of photography by Kristin Sjaarda. 

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Exhibition Statement:

Kristin Sjaarda’s retrospective exhibition, Sistere explores themes of decay, renewal, and the delicate interplay between the natural world and human intervention. Inspired by the work of Rachel Ruysch, particularly her portrayal of nature's impermanence, Sjaarda’s photographs reflect the fleeting beauty of flora, while confronting contemporary concerns of climate change and environmental degradation.

The title Sistere, drawn from its connection to the word solstice, evokes a sense of pause—a moment to reflect on both personal and ecological time. Sjaarda’s work has evolved from early arrangements directly referencing the classical vanitas, to more recent, site-specific images that capture the essence of singular places and moments.

Her use of mirrors as portals and tools for symmetry underscores her exploration of dualities, both in nature and perception. With each piece, Sjaarda’s work becomes more attuned to the specificities of time and location, offering a deeper engagement with the fleeting beauty of the world around us. In her latest series, Palindromes, she continues to break traditional narrative structures, engaging with the playful complexity of symmetry and reflection.

 

About the Artist:

Kristin Sjaarda’s primary subject of focus is the flora and fauna that thrive around the urban environment of her downtown Toronto neighbourhood. Informed by the style and still-life subject matter of the 17th century Dutch Golden Age painters, and the Dutch history of her own family lineage, Sjaarda creates still life photographs that are reflections of both her heritage and the city.

In one of Sjaarda’s most recent series, her arrangements place new emphasis on elements of the decay and decomposing matter of the forest floor that lie in contrast to the lush flowers. Accentuating the dualistic character of the natural environment, she seeks to highlight the inherent fragility of the ecosystem as it responds to forces both natural and forced. Sjaarda comments:

Motivated by a deeply felt eco-anxiety, wondering what the natural world will look like for my children in an uncertain future, I started paying attention to and collecting the flora and fauna that live and thrive in our urban environment. While the historical artworks I use as inspiration were made in an era of expansion and exploitation, these images strive to illuminate what is now threatened by climate change.

Sjaarda holds an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Photography from the Colorado Institute of Art. Recent exhibitions of her work have included presentations in Toronto, Montreal, Hamburg and Miami and her works may be found in private collections in Canada, the United States, and Europe. She currently lives and works in Toronto, ON.