Satellite Award Exhibition 2023: PAST/PRESENT
Timothy Wiebe, Veronica Lee, and Larkin Schering
August 30-September 9, 2023

Satellite Project Space
121 Dundas St, London, ON
Monday-Friday 2-7pm, Saturday 12-5pm

Opening Reception: Thursday August 31, 5-7pm


For the 2023 Award Exhibition, Satellite Project Space is excited to showcase works by three emerging artists, Timothy Wiebe (Western University, BFA), Veronica Lee (Fanshawe College, Fine Art Diploma), and Larkin Schering (Bealart). Western University, Fanshawe College, and Bealart award this exhibition opportunity each year to an exceptionally promising artist graduating from their program. Through different approaches and subject matter, each of these three artists are exploring moments in time. Focusing specifically on the past and the present, these explorations range from the everyday to the heroic.

Timothy Wiebe paints the brief, everyday moments of his life, looking at the seemingly mundane with awe and curiosity. His works are about noticing the present moment, but they are also records of moments now past, or moments that are not quite grounded in time. Often quite small, his paintings evoke spontaneity as well as quiet reflection.

In her work, Veronica Lee references historical stories of Korean shamans performing ritualistic sequences in the language of contemporary, western acrylic painting. This reflects on and is an expression of her Korean-Canadian identity. In depicting figures with covered faces, identity, in these works, is simultaneously asserted and erased. Her works ask us to consider the ways in which legends and stories of the past affect, and are affected by, the present.

Larkin Schering’s interactive, animate installation is rooted truly in the present moment, using live generative visuals that respond to the movements of those in the exhibition space. The work asks us to focus, with curiosity, on the intuitive movements of our bodies. Through engaging in play in the here and now, we are encouraged to develop a greater awareness of the human experience of movement.

Timothy Wiebe
Timothy Wiebe (b. 2000) is an artist currently living and working in Tillsonburg, Ontario. He recently received a Bachelor of Arts from Western University. He graduated with distinction, achieving the highest average in his program of the Honours Specialization in Art History and Studio Art. He had a solo exhibition at Forest City Gallery in 2022, and several group shows at Western. Wiebe’s practice comes from keen observation during his day to day life and an appreciation for the small moments that life offers forth.

Artist Statement:
With this body of work, I am capturing small moments from the everyday. These are often very brief, like an airplane flying overhead, the position of the moon, or a bird going about its business. I take these fleeting moments and transform them into something physical and permanent through painting. The heart of the work is spontaneity and sincerity, which comes from quick and direct painting while the moment is still fresh in my mind. This makes for work that feels genuine and not overworked or over thought. A key aspect of my practice is constant looking and awareness of the world around me. I try to approach life with the same wonder and appreciation that a child would. I am awestruck by the constant activity everywhere in the world, and that wherever I go, there are small moments like these to witness that most would not give a second thought. But through the vessel of painting, I am able to bring a level of significance to the otherwise unnoticed.

Veronica Lee
Veronica Lee is a Korean Canadian artist based in London, Ontario who specializes in abstract and figurative paintings. After graduating from Fanshawe College with a diploma in Fine Arts, Lee is continuing her studies at York University. In an attempt to reconnect with her heritage while embracing her Western upbringing and the obscurity possessing both entails, Lee utilizes and intertwines both her cultures’ art styles in her works. By referencing historical Korean figures, while using contemporary Westernized acrylic paint applications Lee designs a harmonious narrative of her otherwise contrasting identities.

Artist Statement:
Growing up, Lee was accustomed to concealing her identity, thus as an artist she often utilizes art as a medium to showcase her identity for her. In the height of the pandemic Lee regularly sported a mask and still continues to, not in fear of contracting the virus but to happily hide her face. Struggling with the conundrum of wanting to be seen as an artist but not as a person Lee would much rather have people look at her artwork than herself. Her acts of concealment and obscure emotions have transferred into her art style, with her use of free-hand abstract backdrops with masked figures as the focus. Often referencing and depicting historical Korean figures who conceal their faces with masks of their own, Lee forces viewers’ attention onto another subject.

Influenced by Korean artists such as Xooang Choi, Park Dae Sung, and Shin Yun-bok, Lee developed an interest in illustrative movements shown through brushstrokes, stains, the human body, and clothing. Through multiple layers of washes and stippling techniques Lee refers to photos and performances to paint individual figures on wooden panels to create different movements/stances. In this collection Lee illustrates Korean shamans performing ritualistic sequences. Much like Lee’s method of using her artwork as a medium to display her identity, shamans fulfill their duty by serving as mediums for the spirits. Their personal identities hold no importance which is why they will often adorn hoods during rituals. To highlight their movements rather than themselves Lee completely covers their faces with their hoods, removing their identity from the works entirely. Just as Lee wishes viewers to see her through her art rather than herself, she hopes that they view the subjects of this collection not through the shamans themselves but the stories they create through their movements.

Hwangchang, 2023, refers to a legend surrounding a sword dancer who assassinates an enemy king during his performance. The dance he performed during the assassination was later adopted and replicated throughout generations and has become what South Korea calls today Geommu. A process composed of multiple layers of washes and contemporary Westernized paint applications, the painting illustrates a man – Hwangchang – dancing in the palace after assassinating the king waiting for his own execution. The scene is placed on an abstract background not only to evoke an ominous sensation but to illustrate the obscurity of how history is retold.

Larkin Schering
As a child, Larkin Schering enjoyed art as a simple way to entertain themself. Over time, they became fascinated with exploring feelings, ideas and abstract concepts, and art took on a deeper meaning. Larkin gravitates towards facing artistic challenges and finding graceful and visually stimulating solutions for them.
Larkin’s education at H.B. Beal S.S. has shaped them into an interdisciplinary artist. Beals’ program has allowed them the opportunity to work in a wide range of traditional disciplines as well as emerging media. Beyond the visual arts, Larkin is also a dancer having trained in classical ballet, tap, breakdancing, and contemporary dance. Their fascination with movement has influenced much of their visual artworks, and conversely, their practice in the visual arts has impacted the way they go about moving and creating choreography.

Artist Statement:
Movement is an intuitive element of the human experience. It is a complex system that is deeply rooted in us. To move successfully one must be able to determine what they want to do and which muscles to use to do that. They must be open to their senses to know if they are hitting something or if their path must be altered. These complexities often go overlooked as we take for granted how simple it is to walk and do our daily tasks.
Movement of a Moment works to explore this intuition of movement through how humans affect the world around them. Using live generative visuals, the series of four works aims to highlight the feedback loop of movement: from effect, to reaction, and back to movement. The works encourage one to stay playfully curious and discover new visuals and new pathways of movement within their bodies.