Gardiner Museum’s newest exhibition is on now, and it’s no ordinary art show. Presented with Black Artists’ Networks in Dialogue (BAND), After the Island: Caribbean Canadian Ceramics features bold, show-stopping works that range from sculpture and painting to immersive installations that are sure to leave an impression.
With everything from porcelain punching bags to a life-sized ceramic figure in a boat, there’s something for all of the senses to take in (yes, even smell is part of the show).
After the Island features the works of four Canadian artists with Caribbean roots, who explore the body as a site of memory, protection, resistance, and belonging through clay and other materials.
Meet the artists
For artist Eddy Firmin, his body becomes the site of an interactive video game where visitors can use a joystick to navigate and uncover stories connected to the African diaspora. He’s also created a motion-sensored installation of ceramic punching bags with his own face that rotate as visitors approach, inviting them to consider how bodies absorb and resist violence.
Haitian Canadian artist Manual Mathieu uses a different sense to evoke memory — smell. A tent made of burned canvas, metal, and ceramics has been erected in the middle of the gallery, creating a space that is both protective and exposed. Inside, visitors are met with scents diffused to trigger memories.
For PJ Anderson, clay acts as both armour and container. She draws on her Afro-Jamaican and Red River Métis heritage to create sculptures that evoke a sense of protection, with elements of science fiction and futurism woven throughout the work.
And Jamaican Canadian artist Sharon Norwood combines vintage dinnerware, books, textiles, embroidery, and ceramic sculptures in an over-the-top reinterpretation of a refined dining table, raising the question of whose labour makes that sort of wealth possible.
Visit Gardiner Museum to experience it all
With so many interesting works to discover in both this exhibition and the permanent galleries, it’s worthwhile to get an annual pass for $30. That’s a full year of unlimited admission for less than the cost of two visits!
After the Island: Caribbean Canadian Ceramics is on now until April 25, 2027. Start planning your visit to the Gardiner Museum today and experience everything one of Toronto’s most unique cultural attractions has to offer.
After the Island: Caribbean Canadian Ceramics
- Where: Gardiner Museum – 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto
- When: Until April 25, 2027
- Cost: $18 regular admission, $30 for an annual pass
Kendall Bistretzan
Branded Content Writer
Kendall Bistretzan is a Calgary-based writer, reporter, and coffee enthusiast. In her spare time, she loves to read, have dinner with friends, and sing in her car. She is currently querying her debut fiction novel. You can find her on Instagram @kendallbistwrites.
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