Ebb and Flow includes photographs of Meryl McMaster and Aïda Muluneh that are related to water in the broadest possible sense. The works in Ebb and Flow are about water in its literal form, the manipulation of water as tool of colonial violence, water as matrilineal connector and water as earth forming geological force and keeper of geologic time.
Meryl McMaster’s works are self-portraits where she takes on characters or animal personas in elaborate costumes that often relate to her own family histories of colonization and migration. Aïda Muluneh constructs dream-like images that often touch on Ethiopian history and culture. Both capture complex, historically informed and nuanced images and are referencing moments that range from recent memories, family stories, to deep pre-human histories.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta and curated by Lindsey Sharman.
