‘Dream season’ by indigenous artist displayed at the Equinox Gallery
Shaun Hunt's latest work, which resembles a dreamscape theme, has been put up at the gallery for enthusiasts to experience
By SOFIA MOHAMED
Shawn Hunt’s paintings blend traditional Heiltsuk art with personal narratives in his new exhibition, titled Dream Season. It reimagines Hunt’s life as daydreams, forming a series of surreal scenes with human, animal and mythological features, blending into one.
The exhibition opened last week at Vancouver’s Equinox Gallery, and it merges traditional Indigenous techniques with contemporary themes. Through vivid paintings and installations, Hunt invites viewers to explore his identity, culture, and memory.
“They’re like moments of my life, as if reimagined through dreams … everyday moments, or parts of my life that were interesting that sort of run through a fantasy filter. Sort of a dream state kind of thing,” Hunt said.
Identity behind the art
Equinox Gallery associate Chantelle Fawcett lauded Hunt’s exploration of identity. “There is a painting in the show where there’s a figure in a tree branch, and it reminded [Hunt] of his kids running around, climbing trees. He’s sort of merging these traditional Heiltsuk ideologies with his personal life,” she said.
With the exhibition scheduled a year in advance, Fawcett said Hunt created most of the pieces specifically for Dream Season. Visitors to the gallery are encouraged to engage with the works at the exhibition, which will conclude on Dec. 15.
“He’s distinct with his colors,” said Jimmy Chui, a student at BCIT, as he visited Equinox for a visual arts class assignment. The blue hue reminded Chui of Michael Mann, director of Heat and Miami Vice.
Healing powers of art
Studies show that exposure to art may be linked to an improvement in mental well-being. A 2019 literature review published in Frontiers in Psychology highlighted studies that linked aesthetic experiences with lower stress markers, including reduced blood pressure.
Interacting with art, even when associated with negative emotions, has been shown to reduce stress and improve social inclusion. When studies used museums as a therapy setting, they found it improved social inclusion and lowered stress.
Langara College fine arts coordinator, Rita Yip, said that art exhibitions are an important way to experience different perspectives and expand people’s structural knowledge of art as a form of expression.
“Learning about each other and our world through art is educational. [Art has you] growing as an individual, knowing what’s around you and understanding other people’s perspectives,” said Yip.
Médecins francophones du Canada, an association for French-speaking physicians, started a museum prescriptions program in 2018. Doctors prescribe a museum visit to help with the recovery of chronic illnesses and neurological conditions.
The program now has virtual museum prescriptions, and has inspired other museum wellness programs, like museum yoga and guided meditations with art.
