Textile artist Kai Chan named recipient of 26th anniversary Saidye Bronfman AwardGatineau, Quebec, October 4, 2002 — Kai Chan of Toronto, one of Canada’s most highly respected textile artists, has been named the 26th recipient of the $25,000 Saidye Bronfman Award. The announcement was made yesterday by Mr. Charles R. Bronfman on behalf of the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, at a gala award ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canada Council for the Arts are partners in the Award. An additional highlight of the award ceremony was the premiere of a video produced by the Canadian Museum of Civilization that profiled Mr. Chan at work in his studio.
The peer assessment committee, which selected this year's laureate, wished to recognize Kai Chan's "extraordinary career as a world-renowned experimental textile artist whose work is represented in important public and private collections in North America and Europe. Although primarily associated with the field of textiles, his work straddles many craft genres and has links to jewellery, basketry, fashion, and toys. Chan's work distinguishes itself through the minimal use of unexpected and modest materials that, while lyrical and wonderfully imaginative, are masterfully manipulated into inventive pieces that echo the meditative aesthetic of his cultural heritage. Kai Chan's work, constantly evolving and exploring new territories, remains uniquely personal."
Kai Chan has exhibited extensively across Canada and has been recognized internationally with shows in Austria, Australia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Art Gallery of Mississauga, The Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery and the Museum London in London, Ontario, recently mounted a major solo exhibition of Chan's work, which will continue to tour across Canada in 2002-2003.
The exhibition Saidye Bronfman Award 2002: Kai Chan, on display at the Canadian Museum of Civilization from October 3, 2002 to September 12, 2003, presents works by Mr. Chan from the Museum's contemporary craft collection. Also on display will be works from other Museum collections that Mr. Chan has selected. These additional works reflect objects and designs that Mr. Chan has found compliment his own pieces.
Celebrating its 26th anniversary this year, the Saidye Bronfman Award was established by The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation to provide leadership in recognizing and honouring the high levels of excellence achieved by Canadian craft artists. The Canada Council for the Arts administers the nomination and adjudication processes. The $25,000 annual award is one of the largest individual visual arts prizes in Canada.
In addition to the cash prize awarded to the recipient, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, through a further grant from The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, acquires works by the Saidye Bronfman Award recipient for its permanent collection. In recent years, The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation has contributed over $250,000 for the purchase of works by previous Award recipients. The Canadian Museum of Civilization's fine craft collection is the largest public contemporary craft collection in Canada, with over 2,000 works by artists from across the country.
For further information on the Saidye Bronfman Award and profiles on previous recipients, visit http://www.civilization.ca/arts/bronfman/brint01e.html
FACT SHEETS
For more information:
Heather Hatch-Dinel
The Haley Group
Tel.: (416) 535-5400
E-mail: haleyart@interlog.com
Media Relations Officer
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: (819) 776-7169
Fax: (819) 776-7187
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