The Table
Irena M. Kongsuwan
January 19—March 22, 2019
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 1
Exhibition Description /
When given the choice, sharing a table to enjoy a meal is done with the people we trust, without judgement or criticism. In this work distinct cultures sit with one another to eat together in their own traditional ways. It’s a positive message about companionship and acceptance amid diversity, represented by different ways of eating across selected cultures.
Biography /
Irena Kongsuwan‘s work is rooted in how diversity in culture and origin both challenge and enrich human relationships. She has lived in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Taiwan and Thailand where she intersected with people from a vast range of places. Immersed in some deeply proud and traditional communities she was challenged to embrace strict cultural traditions. These experiences continue to be a fountain from which she draws inspiration.
Kongsuwan delights working in mixed mediums which give her work depth and a handmade texture, as she works to convey connections between people, culture, and making.
Kongsuwan holds a BFA in painting from The Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Kongsuwans’ artwork is included in numerous private art collections and she has exhibited her work in Penticton, Vancouver, Calgary and Taiwan. She currently lives and works back home in Calgary, Alberta.
Territorial Acknowledments
TNG gratefully acknowledges its home on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region, including the Blackfoot Confederacy (Kainai, Piikani and Siksika), Métis Nation of Alberta Region III, Stoney Nakoda First Nation (Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley), and Tsuu T’ina First Nation. TNG would also like to acknowledge the many other First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have crossed this land for generations.