Trio of artists from Chilliwack and Hope come together for Convergence 2022 exhibition

Three Chilliwack artists have come together for the next art show at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre.

Convergence 2022, featuring pottery by Holly McKeen, paintings by Patricia Peters and digital art by George Rychter, is on display in the O’Connor Group Art Gallery from Aug. 10 to Sept. 17.

All three artists are members of the Chilliwack Visual Artists Association. Peters and McKeen are Chilliwack artists while Rychter is from Hope.

The Progress met up with McKeen and Peters just before the show opened on Wednesday.

“I was excited to be in this exhibit with Patricia because I love how colourful her work is,” McKeen said. “She has a kind of feeling in her painting that, when I look at these paintings, I don’t see the trees, I see the wind in the trees. I think we’re kindred spirits in that way in our art.”

Peters agrees their works complement each other.

“Holly’s work is exquisite. The natural forms of the crystalline glazes are exceptional and they’re very rare,” Peters said. “The forms themselves are refined and beautiful.”

She calls McKeens work “world-class pottery.”

In Rychter’s digital work, all of the pieces start as photos he’s taken of leaves. He then transforms them and colours them.

McKeen said it’s “pretty exciting” what Rychter can do when he manipulates images.

Peters said seeing Rychter’s work in photos or online doesn’t do it justice.

“George’s work has to been seen to be experienced,” she said.

The work of the three artists captures a shared interpretation of movement, energy, and natural forms, in a bold and fresh presentation, the Chilliwack Visual Artists Association stated in a press release.

McKeen said she enjoys the study of complex surfaces in crystalline and special effect glazes while seeking movement and elegant curves in her porcelain creations. Both surface and form come together as one in the ceramic artistry of this collection.

Peters is a contemporary landscape artist who creates vivid images using her unique language of colour to illustrate her response to the world around us and, in particular, her ongoing conversation with the land.

“My paintings are about the story,” Peters said.

She has also included a small piece that her son made 16 years ago when he was nine. She will be telling the story behind it at the opening reception and folks can also read about it at the gallery where the story will be posted beside the painting.

As a digital artist, Rychter’s work is born using computer algorithms to wildly manipulate a photo image, so as to transform it into something that he then colours. Ultimately the artwork is made into a light jet print on white aluminum.

Convergence 2022 is in the art gallery at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre (9201 Corbould St.) from Wednesday, Aug. 10 to Saturday, Sept. 17. The opening reception is Saturday, Aug. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. with an artist talk at 1 p.m.

Admission is free and gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday.

Looking for more events taking place in and around Chilliwack? Check out What’s happening Chilliwack in our community section.