Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill shortlisted for prestigious Canadian contemporary visual art award

The shortlist for the 2023 Sobey Art Award were announced by the National Gallery of Canada and the Sobey Art Foundation on June 12 and Vancouver-based Métis artist Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill was one of the five named to the list.

“Her sculptural practice explores the history of found materials, enquiring into concepts of land, property and economy,” said a statement from Sobey Art Award organization about Hill’s work.

Hill’s recent exhibitions include the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the 59th Venice Biennale, Le Magasin — CNAC in Grenoble, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Gallery TPW in Toronto.

“Congratulations to each of the five artists shortlisted for this edition of the Award. Year after year, we are amazed at the standards of excellence produced by contemporary artists from across the country. We strive to provide an experience and recognition that supports these artists in the way that is most meaningful to them, allowing them to focus their energy on their art. We look forward to seeing their work in the exhibition at the Gallery next fall,” said Bernard Doucet, the Sobey Art Foundation’s executive director in a statement.

“The National Gallery of Canada is very proud to celebrate the 2023 Sobey Art Award finalists. The breadth of practices this year represents the multi-faceted texture and strength of contemporary artistic talent in this country,” said Jonathan Shaughnessy, NGC’s director, curatorial initiatives, and chair of the 2023 Sobey Award jury in a statement. “From the longlist to the short each of this year’s artists are deserving national and international recognition. The work of the five finalists present views on many urgent matters of our time, including 2SLGBTQ+ solidarities and representation, as well as critical questions regarding diasporic experience and Canadian identity. We all stand to gain from their perspectives that are propelled through a lens attuned to creativity, esthetics, and innovation.”

The 2023 Sobey Art Award finalists, listed east to west by regions, are:

Anahita Norouzi (Québec), a research-driven multidisciplinary artist whose practice is articulated through a wide range of materials and mediums including sculpture, installation, photography, and video. Her work is impelled by marginalized histories, and the legacies of botanical explorations and archeological excavations, Norouzi is originally from Tehran, Iran and has worked in Montréal since 2018.

Kablusiak (Prairies and the North), a multidisciplinary Inuvialuk artist and curator who uses Inuk ingenuity to create work in a variety of mediums, including lingerie, white flour, soapstone, felt, acrylic paint, and words. The artist’s work explores dis/connections and family and community ties within the Inuit diaspora, as well as the impact of colonization on Inuit expressions of gender and sexuality, on health and well-being, and on daily life. Kablusiak was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and they are currently based in Calgary, Alberta.