2018 Sobey Art Award: Ontario - Kapawani Kiwangi

Kapwani Kiwanga creates works across installation, sound, performance, sculpture and video that marry her training in anthropology, comparative religion and documentary film with her interests in history, memory and storytelling. Presenting rigorous research in imaginative ways, Kiwanga intentionally confuses truth and fiction in her work to enable marginalized narratives to flourish. With a veracious appetite for exploring different pockets of knowledge, she has tackled subjects as far ranging as space travel, anti-colonial struggles, geology and disciplinary architectures. Born in Hamilton, Kiwanga currently lives and works in Paris, France.

Juror's Statement
November Paynter on Kapwani Kiwanga
The artist long list for Ontario was incredibly strong this year, yet Kapwani Kiwanga stood out for the urgency of her research and the emotive, formal qualities of the art works that result. One juror described Kiwanga's work as "necessary at this time"; a statement that sums up the experience of spending time with, sometimes within, her recent sculptural installations. Describing her works as "exit strategies," Kiwanga investigates historic narratives in dialogue with contemporary realities and future perspectives, allowing us to look differently at existing structures. She is particularly interested in the continued force of colonization and how the dynamics of colonial heritage play out similarly across time and space. Kiwanga lives in Paris and has shown extensively in Europe. With more recent invitations to show in Canada and North America, Kiwanga's practice has evolved to consider new audiences and cultural contexts. For Canada, Kiwanga's inclusion on the Sobey shortlist is a timely recognition of the voice and talent of an exceptional and internationally engaged artistic practice.