KYLE SCHEURMANN: ART AS WITNESS, ART AS WARNING
From a bunkhouse in Northwest Ontario to the ancient forests of Vancouver Island, Kyle Scheurmann's journey unfolds with an unyielding need to bear witness, to transform what he sees and feels into something concrete, something that communicates when language falls short. His paintings become living records, artifacts of a world teetering on the edge, yet still clinging to its fragile beauty.
Kyle speaks with raw honesty about the complexities of turning environmental activism into art. He shares his experiences at the Fairy Creek blockades, where the convergence of community and conservation shaped his work. There’s an unfiltered quality to his narrative, a realization that his art is less about capturing the natural world in its current state and more about highlighting the stark possibility of its disappearance.
As Kyle prepares for his upcoming solo exhibition at Bau-Xi Gallery in Vancouver, "Falling Stars Made of Ashes," he reflects on the emotional and spiritual undercurrents that have influenced this new collection. Unlike his previous show in Toronto, “Split My Full Moon Heart”, which concentrated on the immediate, palpable realities of climate collapse, this exhibition explores the ephemeral, the deeply personal, and the intensely remembered. The show opens on September 14th, 2024 and promises to be a powerful exploration of memory, fear, and the relentless passage of time.
Kyle is also gearing up for the third annual Art Auction for Old Growth, happening online from September 19th to 26th, 2024. This year, a new group of artists has come together to support the preservation of British Columbia's most endangered ancient forests. You can visit the auction's Givergy page, now live for registration and a full preview of the artwork. Since its inception in 2022, the auction has raised over $60,000, with all proceeds going to the Nature-Based Solutions Foundation (NBSF). NBSF is dedicated to protecting Canada’s most threatened ecosystems by supporting the creation of new protected areas, with a strong emphasis on Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas.
You can find more of Kyle’s work at Bau-Xi Gallery in Toronto, on his website and Instagram.
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Photos copyright of artist.
