The Sobey Art Foundation and the National Gallery of Canada are delighted to announce the five finalists for the 2019 Sobey Art Award. One of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art prizes, the Sobey Art Award is presented annually to a Canadian visual artist age 40 and under.
The 2019 shortlist echoes the jury’s excitement about younger practices in all regions of the country and will bring new awareness to the five artists' inventive work. We are looking forward to experiencing their work at the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton this fall.
– Josée Drouin-Brisebois Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Canada and Chair of the 2019 Sobey Art Award Jury
I was very impressed by all of the artists on the longlist for this year’s Sobey Art Award. It was very rewarding to familiarize myself with the diverse practices of these artists, and to have fruitful conversations and discussions with my fellow jurors.
From personal concerns to global themes, the artists we selected for the shortlist offer new reflections as they explore complex issues such as tradition, loss of identity, our relationship to nature, language, migration, critiques of Settler culture, and notions of home. The works — which range from sculpture and video to painting and performance — show that contemporary Canadian art has a lot to offer, as it is part of an international discourse with distinct voices. It is a very strong shortlist, and I look forward to the Award exhibition this October in Edmonton.
