Kelly Lycan also made the list. The Vancouver photo-based installation artist explores ideas of perception, value, and reproduction, examining how objects and images are displayed. With an MFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, she has had her work exhibited across Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East; recent shows have included the site-specific The Fireplace, exploring the Edwardian rooms at the Burnaby Art Gallery.
Elsewhere, Samuel Roy-Bois, known for built environments, installations, sculpture, and photographs, is being recognized. His work sits in the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, and he’s shown everywhere from the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal to Whistler’s Audain Art Museum. He’s an associate professor in sculpture at UBC Okanagan.
And xʷməθkʷəyəm (Musqueam), Simpcw, and Syilx artist Manual Axel Strain joins the list for their work in installations, photographic art, and other disciplines. The artist, whose pieces have been shown at venues such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, The Polygon Gallery, and Surrey Art Gallery, attended Emily Carr University of Art + Design and prioritizes Indigenous epistemologies. They were long-listed for the 2022 Sobey Award and were a recipient of the 2022 Portfolio Prize. They work as co-artistic director at the Vines Art Society.