Sobey Art Award 2024: Rhayne Vermette
Divya Mehra: Over the past decade, Rhayne Vermette has produced thoughtful and nuanced visual examinations of belonging, community, ways of seeing and land. Vermette’s films, animations, photographs and two-dimensional collages make visible the vastness of the prairie landscape, the beauty of destruction and the complexities of Métis identity.
In anticipation of the publication the Sobey Art Award 2024 exhibition catalogue, Vermette and I engaged in an image exchange on our phones. This conversation resulted in a record that generously offers insight into her work and creative process. The following are my collages of her images from that conversation. Vermette’s images are drawn from various sources, including her archive and sketchbooks, and they speak to Manitoba, invisibility, ancestry, intimacy, being seen, labour, humour and family.
The 2024 Sobey Art Award Exhibition is on view at the National Gallery of Canada from October 4, 2024 until April 6, 2025, with the winner being announced in November 2024. The Sobey Art Award is funded by the Sobey Art Foundation and is organized and presented by the National Gallery of Canada. Share this article and subscribe to our newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest articles, Gallery exhibitions, news and events, and to learn more about art in Canada.